Canadians Smoking Over Government's High Doobie Prices

[DeSwiss]

SOURCE: Toronto Sun

Feds' Pot Markup 1,500%

By CP
April 16, 2007

OTTAWA -- The federal government charges patients 15 times more for certified medical marijuana than it pays to buy the weed in bulk from its official supplier, newly released documents show.

Critics say it's unconscionable to charge that high a markup to some of the country's sickest citizens, who have little income and are often cut off from their medical marijuana supply when they can't pay their government dope bills.

Records obtained under the Access to Information Act show that Health Canada pays $328.75 for each kilogram of bulk medical marijuana produced by Prairie Plant Systems Inc.

The company has a $10.3-million contract with Health Canada, which expires at the end of September, to grow medical marijuana in an abandoned mine shaft in Flin Flon, Man.

$5GS A KILO

Health Canada, in turn, sells the marijuana to a small group of authorized users for $150 -- plus GST -- for each 30-gram bag of ground-up flowering tops, with a strength of up to 14% THC, the main active ingredient. That works out to $5,000 a kilo, a markup of more than 1,500%.

"It's impossible for a person on disability," said Ron Lawrence, 38, a burn victim in Windsor, Ont., who needs medical marijuana to control severe pain. "The sickest people are the ones that need it the most . . . they're the ones who don't work."

Health Canada has become a reluctant marijuana supplier, forced into the role by a series of court decisions that have accepted scientific research indicating cannabis can relieve pain when other medications fail. The courts have also said patients should not be forced into the black market to purchase their medicine.

There are 1,742 patients authorized by Health Canada to possess dried pot as a medication. Of these, 1,040 are licensed to grow their own, and another 167 people are licensed to grow marijuana for the exclusive use of licensed patients.

A health department spokesman said the quoted price of $328.75 a kilo does not include other Health Canada costs. Street prices for pot are $10 a gram, twice Health Canada's price.

link: http://www.torontosun.com/News/Canada/2007/04/16/4033777-sun.html

*** - Well, according to this information, the Canadian Fed's weed is still about 1/2 the street price. Now if they'd increase the number of "patients" who are eligible to smoke it.... say to about... I dunno maybe 100,000,000 or so they'd run the criminals straight out of business. And start a new business of their own. And reduce stress. And increase happiness. And on top of all that, it could give the politicians what they crave: tax money that people won't be complaining about. Like the lottery. Only this time, everybody'd win each time they light up!!! It'll never happen of course. It just makes too much sense for politicians.

[notadmblnd]

1. 28 grams is an ounce so 150 for just little more than

is pretty much the going street price for the green right now. How do I know this? I'm psycho.:shrug:

[DeSwiss]

2. Remember now....

...those are Canadian dollars you'd be theoretically spending. If you were theoretically buying weed in Canada. Of course, its just a theory of mine. ;)


Psycho, huh. Ummm-huh. Yeah, crazy like a fox! :) :P

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. You're not allowing for spillage

A kilo costs $330, but when it's divided into 30-gram "lids", there may only be enough for three or four. There's a lot of "spillage" in the pot business. And the costs - the laborers who divide the kilo probably go through a mountain of Oreos every day.

[DeSwiss]

4. So tell me...

...are they hiring for these "weed spillage" jobs??? I'd like a part-time job where I can get high and not do much work.

So where do I list my credentials? CareerBuilder.com???? On 2nd thought forget CareerBuilder.com. They have too many military recruiters glomming around. Wouldn't want to be accused of being too gay to fight for my country. Although I am African-American. So they'd probably just tell me to go back to Africa....

Damn. After all that, I need a joint!

[EOTE]

5. Just think of us poor yanks.....

If I could get medical grade marijuana for $150 for more than an ounce, I'd be very happy indeed. Also, you must keep in mind that you're receiving nothing but extremely high quality herb (14%!!!!!). No stems, no seeds, just pure, unadulterated chronic. That same 30 gram bag in the states would probably cost $500 or so considering that even the best of the best stuff here is still under 10% THC.

[DeSwiss]

7. Yeah, I hear ya....

...the only thing I wondered about was the paperwork. Can you imagine the layer upon layer of forms you'd have to fill-out??

By the time you're through you'd need something stronger. Like heroin....

}( :P

[jmowreader]

6. $150 a lid doesn't sound that bad when street is $300

Now understand it's outrageous that they BUY the weed at $10 a lid, then turn around and resell it for $150.

We know that the dope trade works on the Law of Supply and Demand: they have the supply so pay them what they demand.

Look, this is what they could do. It would be easy and quick, and a hell of a lot better for Canadians than all this Law Enforcement bullshit.

First, train the cops to detect an impaired driver through Field Sobriety testing.

Next, legalize marijuana.

Then go into the middle of the country where the population is rather sparse, and set up pot farms. There are LOTS of people in prison who got there through either growing or selling; there's your workforce. Put the pot farms in the middle of fucking nowhere so pilferage will be minimal.

Naturally, you'd have to unionize the growers. Local 13 of the Marijuana Pickers Union. "Look for the Union Label, when you are buying a lid, bag or pound..." And it's got to be quality cannabis, else this won't work. One-hit weed.

Then sell the shit for...oh, $100 a lid, which would do three things--eliminate the illegal dope trade (why buy weed from a curbside pharmacist when you can buy it from the Canadian government for a third the price?), increase tax revenues, and subsidize free medicinal marijuana.

[DeSwiss]

8. Aside from your being EXTREMELY conversant on this topic....

....that last part was a real HOOT!!! :P

Yeah I can hear it now:

"Hey man this weed any good?"

"WTF you talkin' bout???" Any good?!?!? Man, can't you see that UNION LABEL??? Chump!"

:rofl: