Health Canada demands marijuana smokers pay up in advance
October 31st, 2009 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry by admin
(CTV) – Health Canada is getting tough with patients who use government-certified medical marijuana, demanding full payment in advance before shipping the weed.
The move, effective Nov. 30, is designed to halt the rising number of accounts in arrears — and force more patients to pay off old debts that now total more than $1.2 million.
“This change to a purchase-in-advance system will streamline the order and payment process and will prevent further increases to the debt load of the department,” says a recent Health Canada letter issued to users.
More than 4,600 people in Canada are licensed to use medical marijuana to treat a wide range of conditions, including chronic pain, that may not be resolved by standard prescription drugs.
Several court rulings forced a reluctant Health Canada to get into the marijuana business in 2003 so that bona fide patients would not have to rely on the black market for supplies.
Most authorized users grow their own pot or have someone else grow it for them, all under licence, but some 800 are currently buying their medical marijuana from Health Canada.
The government sells dried marijuana for $5 a gram — about half the price of street marijuana — or 30 seeds for $20, plus GST and provincial taxes.
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