According to the CBC, Health Canada's controversial medicinal marijuana system is leaving the government to pick-up a $500,000 tab of unpaid patient bills. While the agency has sent out 462 arrears notices along with corresponding calls to collection agencies, Health Canada reveals that only $2000 has been recouped in lost revenue. Out of the 739 current registered pot users, stats provided by the Access to Information Act have reveal that a whopping two-thirds are fronting delinquent accounts.
However, many patients are arguing that the government's 1500% mark-up of its supply is ludicrous considering most other medications are covered by Blue Cross or Pharmacare. Jason Wilcox has been HIV-positive since the early 90s, and uses marijuana to ease pain and to help him sleep at night. He currently owes Health Canada $6,770.06. Enraged by the government's enormous profits, Wilcox makes no qualms about sharing his true feelings: "At that point [upon discovering the government mark-up], I refused to pay. Also, not to mention that their product is crap." Read the article here...
So even though I support the government distribution of medicinal herb, I am shocked by what a gong show of a system it is! Are the Feds basically distributing weed on the honour system in which a buy now-pay later scheme allows patients to score their little baggie in the mail?! Doesn't this strike you as...I don't know...completely insane and not to mention--ineffective? Anyway, I've tried to find more info on Health Canada's payment procedure for medicinal marijuana users but I haven't had any luck thus far. So if anyone out there in cyberspace has any of the answers, I do pray thee to share...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Health Canada's Medicinal Marijuana Plans Get Smoked Out!
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13 comments:
Hey man, you know I'm good for it!
Nice try! I've heard that one before ;)
Sounds like they didn't think before distributing their crappy over priced product.
Oh Government... when will you ever learn.
When they endorse. lol
Great idea extend a credit plan to a bunch of people who are about to start using a drug that makes you forgetful.
Legal drugs should never cost more than street drugs - looks like the Gov of Canada were trying to turn a quick buck and got screwed-up-the-A.
On a side note some low-grade weed in South Africa will set you back about 75c CAN. How much does it go for on the streets here?
You said it May! The gov't just wasn't thinking at all when they started pushing their low grade weed to the masses...
Hahaha! Good point Rob! I guess weed doesn't really help your short term memory at all...
So for the avg prices in Canada, check out
THIS SITE
In the early '80s, when I was in high school, one could buy an "eighth" of bud for $25 (US), or 4 finger's height of "shake" (leaves, stems, etc) in a sandwich baggie for maybe $5? (I didn't buy that very often).
I haven't purchased or smoked marijuana in 20 years, but ever since I watched the movie AMERICAN BEAUTY I've wondered about it's current price, but (as you can imagine) I don't quite feel right asking anyone in my local NA meeting about it. In that movie the guy bought some at an astronomical price. I wondered, "Is that crazy Hollywood stuff or do they really have strains that expensive now?" It's none of my business, of course, but inquiring minds want to know.
You're very lucky to have medical marijuana at all... I still live in an UNCIVILIZED COUNTRY (cough)...
I might hafta borrow that lovely graphic, BB! :)
A friend of mine has told me that if you were to encounter a fellow downtown Ottawa trying to introduce you to his friend Herb, it would cost about ten dollars per gram.
Hi daisy! Yes, please do use the graphic--it's pretty hilarious, eh?
And I know, you're right, it's better to have gov't regulated medicinal marijuana than none at all. However, unless you're full-out growing/trafficking the stuff, Canadian law enforcement are pretty tame about small-time possession since it's often seen as a "victim-less" crime. So in that sense, some may feel better off buying better quality herb on the "street" to get more bang for the their buck...so to speak.
Welcome jayne dough! Thanks for joining the discussion. As for your question, I'll direct you to Karloff's comment for an answer on the Canadian front :D
Hey Karloff, thanks for fielding that question straight-up. I have to admit, was being evasive so I just posted the link above which I think is pretty accurate ;)
When I was in San Francisco a couple of years ago, I was astonished to hear about this whole 'medical marijuana' business! Seriously nothing like that over here...we've had an old granny with MS sent through the court system for baking with it!
As for me...it's dry round here right now, seriously dry. Perhaps I should move to BC...I'm sure I have some kind of appropriate medical condition! ;o) Expensive, rubbish weed is better than not at all, right?
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