A Budding Controversy in Canada

Recently in Canadian news, the first two medical marijuana licenses have been handed out to Saskatchewan-based company Prairie Plant Systems and its subsidiary CanniMed Ltd. This means that once the old program is phased out (April 1st 2014), the free market will begin where licensed growers will compete in what is expected to soon become a billion dollar industry starting . Currently in Canada there are over 30 000 license holders under the medical marijuana program, and of those approximately 18 000 grow their own. Once the new system comes in to effect none of those approved users will be able to grow their own anymore.

With the government stepping in, the hope is that the large licensed growing companies will demolish small scale operations which have tendencies to participate in the black market. The move has other potential upsides too, such as tax money and job creation but it is also an outrage to certified users who will now have to pay. User’s argue they don’t have the money to buy company grown marijuana and that they would be prepared to take matters to court. In the grand spectrum the government is risking that the upsides will outweigh citizen outrage.