Bill C-45: Canada's Legalization, The Drama Revs Up

What I don't understand here is, they haven't even picked a date for legalization, yet Saskatchewan Doctors have been told to CEASE and DESIST NOW?

So effectively, Medical Cannabis no longer exists in Sask?

Gonna have to be a Supreme Court challenge coming out of this...

I'm in Ontario, and see my doc again in a few weeks, will see what he has heard here....
 
odam2k said:
What I don't understand here is, they haven't even picked a date for legalization, yet Saskatchewan Doctors have been told to CEASE and DESIST NOW?
Click to expand...

this actually began back in 2014.


odam2k said:
So effectively, Medical Cannabis no longer exists in Sask?
Click to expand...


it exists - sort of. if you were able to obtain a card previously you still can keep it if your original doctor continues to sign off on it. if your doctor leaves the province or the card lapses for whatever reason, you are done. no new access or grow licences are being issued. new access is being limited to essentially terminal patients, thru a limited number of physicians.

the odd thing here is there is a grow being built 1 mile from my parents place that is being billed as an mmj facility only. it is being put together thru the investor group i mentioned previous.

odam2k said:
Gonna have to be a Supreme Court challenge coming out of this...
Click to expand...

the college and the province has deliberately put the physicians in a catch 22 position. they have not told them to stop prescribing, only that their license to practise is in jeoprady if they continue to do so. this is an effective end run around the federal law without having to have it backed by a court.

odam2k said:
I'm in Ontario, and see my doc again in a few weeks, will see what he has heard here....
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my current doctor is from ontario. things are much more sane there. a good rule of thumb is look who is running which province. if they have the particular political flavor that exists here, then you can expect them to be difficult.

this isn't about what is right or legal. this is about politics and money. there is a brand new multi-billion dollar industry being born and whoever controls it controls all the power and influence that flows from it. it's the exact position oil money used to occupy here, which is why there is so much of it sloshing around in the industry.



edit: btw good vibes and <3 sent to weaselcracker. keep at it brother.
 
So the market data from HC for Sask. where the numbers have almost doubled in a year, must be false? My cousin was just prescribed 5gpd in Saskatoon last week... LoL

Can you post some factual evidence to show that this is happening in Sask.? Some of the lawyers who have won the court cases would have a field day with this....
 
Sask college of physicians quotes the canadian medical association on it's website for starters

The College's Concerns


Health Canada disclaimer on its website:
“Cannabis is not an approved therapeutic product and the provision of this information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the use of this product, or cannabis generally, by Health Canada.”


if seeking access the college makes sure to communicate the fact it is a legal position over a medical one



Obtaining a Prescription for Cannabis for Medical Purposes

Patients must first obtain a medical document from their primary treating licensed health care practitioner (physician or nurse practitioner who is the main health practitioner responsible for treating your condition and symptoms) in order to purchase and use cannabis for medical purposes.

note :
primary treating licensed health care practitioner

this is important in sask. GPs have been able to pull access if they do not agree with the prescribing physician. the college treats GPs as your primary practioner and defaults to that position. it's the GPs that face the most pressure.

note medical document - that is the standard document provided by health canada. this is the document the physician is being pressured to not complete or withold. some clinics will now tell you they do not provide this document in completed form.

this is the document i can't get signed at present - standard health canada form.

this is the process the sask college uses

1. Meet with your primary treating Health Care Practitioner to discuss whether medical cannabis could treat your symptoms. Your health care practitioner will review your medical history and may require you to undergo medical testing to assess your condition

doing this right now. just finished a battery of tests

2. Your primary treating Health Care Practitioner may then decide to prescribe medical cannabis as a treatment for your symptoms (or he or she may recommend a different course of treatment) if he or she feels that it is clinically appropriate.

this is pretty standard in any province. the college here emphasizes the may (not)

3. To comply with the College’s bylaw, you will be asked to sign a treatment agreement outlining your medical and legal responsibilities with regards to your prescription for medical cannabis.

the medical part of this document should be the same as above.

the legal document is specific to sask. curious if any other provinces require it.

there was always a legal document we had to sign, this seems to be more restrictive here now. i have asked for a copy to review, but have been told it is not possible to get the current one as it is the property of the college. will post when i get one. it is not published, but it can't be hard to get.



4. Your primary treating Health Care Practitioner will complete and sign the medical document you will need to access your prescription for medical cannabis.

pretty sure this is also standard in every province.


this is sask college specific expectations - somewhat similar to other provinces


Some of the expectations outlined in the College’s bylaw are described below.

1. A physician may only prescribe marijuana for a patient for whom the physician is the primary treating physician for the condition for which the marijuana is prescribed.
2. Prior to prescribing marijuana, a physician must review the patient’s medical history, review relevant records pertaining to the condition for which the marijuana is prescribed and conduct an appropriate physical examination.
3. A physician who prescribes marijuana may only do so after the patient signs a written treatment agreement*, which contains the following:

(a) A statement by the patient that the patient will not seek a prescription for cannabis from any other physician during the period for which the cannabis is prescribed;
(b) A statement by the patient that the patient will utilize the cannabis as prescribed, and will not use the cannabis in larger amounts or more frequently than is prescribed;
(c) A statement by the patient that the patient will not give or sell the prescribed cannabis to anyone else, including family members;
(d) A statement by the patient that the patient will store the cannabis in a safe place;
(e) A statement by the patient that if the patient breaches the agreement, the physician may refuse to prescribe further cannabis.


not all expectations are published to the public.

then there is this. only required in sask.

PHYSICIAN RECORD: Prescribing physicians must retain a single record, separate from other patient records, which can be inspected by the College, and which contains:

(a) The patient’s name, health services number and date of birth;
(b) The quantity and duration for which cannabis was prescribed;
(c) The medical condition for which cannabis was prescribed;
(d) The name of the licensed producer from which the cannabis will be obtained, if known to the physician.

since february the sask college recommends adhereing to the simplified guide for prescribing found here

simplified guide

essentially says don't prescribe. physicians prescribing oustside of these guidelines invite scrutiny from the sask college.

i have reached out to others locally of similiar mind. have become a bit of an activist and we are seeking legal opinion. my doctor is on board. the college is not a legal entity even though they have the authority to pull a physicians license. we have lost doctors to other provinces over this already.
 
So a friend of mine just recently got his card, he has nothing to do with weed. I asked him why he got his card, his answer "just to see what it's all about" I just shook my head

NL put out there bill yesterday... 30 grams carry, grow 4 plants, and can exchange with others. Lots of peeps are not happy with the stores selected for retail... loblaws, canopy stores, and some esso gas stations out in some of the rural areas.
 
So the Senate is determined to put their own spin on Bill C-45. They put forward 40 potential amendments to the bill. A lot of it was blah blah but 2 that could be significant if they pass:

* Provinces have the right to set their own grow regulations re whether allowed at all, # of plants etc.

* "Another committee amendment could lay the groundwork for regulatory limits on the amount of THC contained in cannabis products — in other words, potency limits." Source: The Leaf

The vote happens June 7 with the possibility of these & other amendments being passed.

Ian
 
Hi All,

Unfortunately I can't find the article, but I read that the rule of (Canadian) law says the province can't undermine the federal law.

So the feds have told Quebec (and Manitoba) they are on their own regarding personal growing. I think this means that they won't side with these provinces when a lawsuit is against the grow prohibition.

I don't expect the ban on growing to survive a challenge and wouldn't be surprised if an injunction against the ban was issued while it got sorted out.

Just my 2 cents.

:peace:
 
the winners of the pot shop licenses were announced in sask this past wk. couple large companies made out well, canopy growth - tweed - cornered 10% of the offered licenses. the rest are mostly a mix of business people and a handful of companies with loose ties to the gov't. a few who'd been snubbed in the private liquore store licensing process a couple years back were successful with weed this time around.

surprise ! no one currently in the industry or working as an activist was allowed. police also announced they will be shutting down all the dispensaries that have opened since the last raid. most of them are centered around saskatoon, regina's have been closed for a while.

there are load of questions surrounding the "randomness" of the draw. most of the names / companies were known before the announcement and a few even telegraphed their selection by securing business locations.

final list is here
 
Old Salt said:
Survey Says: Two Thirds of Current Pot Users will Switch to Legal Retailers

Right, let's see how that works out when the nearest legal retailer is a three hour drive away, or the selection is poor, or non-existent.
Click to expand...

I don’t think we will have an issue getting quality or variety. I get dispensary bud delivered to my doorstep in 3 business days, and the quality is top shelf, with 20 to 30 varieties. I have had a few strains I wasn’t thrilled with but overall it’s way better consistency wise than what my old dealers used to provide.

I didn’t fight for all these years for legalization, only to spit in the face of that legalization, and continue supporting tax evading dealers who may or may not be supporting criminals. I want to support job creation and tax generation.

But I will be growing most of my own anyway.
 
I'm in Nova Scotia where there will be only twelve legal retail outlets. Many will have a three hour or more drive to get to them. They will be run by employees of the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission.

I've had to grow my own. When I last checked two months ago, only one of the LPs, in Quebec had high CBD flower available. That was 'patient ready' or pre-ground. I can't afford over $1000 / month to buy from them, so I've been forced to grow my own. A five and a half month wait for Health Canada's initial approval didn't help my attitude. It also doesn't help that I'm well into my second month of waiting for a renewal.

Medical marijuana has been legal for seventeen years, and the bugs still haven't been worked out of the system. It has taken court case after court case since 2001 to get to where we are today. Does anyone really think legalization for recreational use will be any different?

Spit in the face of legalization? No, just a realization that legalization is the opening shot of the battle. A lot of people are going to be crushed by the many court battles to come.
 
Yeah, I live in the land of milk and hippies, so it’s easy to find decent product. Being on the east coast is different no doubt. I suspect growing your own as a medical patient is the only real option. Not many folks can afford to buy that much cannabis week to week. I know I don’t need that kind of expense.

The legal medical sector has been blunder after blunder. I have suspected it’s been undermined the whole time by those who profit from pharmaceuticals or ignorant conservatives.

I have very little faith in our government to execute anything properly. Let alone a major policy change like this. Its better than the continued criminilization.
 
Why does that irritate you, it is 100% the truth... I will also never, ever spend a cent in these "stores". No one should... These people who are allowed to supply these stores have been caught selling pure poison to patients!

I hope they all go down in flames for selling government weed...

Organigram sold me weed that burns hydrogen cyanide.... Tell me government weed is trustworthy or safe... They have had since 2001 to perfect medical... Go smoke a government sanctioned joint and feel good cause it is "legal", LoL!

Edit: I have 6 bottles of government ""Organigram"" weed that if I actually wanted to use could kill me!
 
Torst said:
Why does that irritate you, it is 100% the truth... I will also never, ever spend a cent in these "stores". No one should... These people who are allowed to supply these stores have been caught selling pure poison to patients!

I hope they all go down in flames for selling government weed...

Organigram sold me weed that burns hydrogen cyanide.... Tell me government weed is trustworthy or safe... They have had since 2001 to perfect medical... Go smoke a government sanctioned joint and feel good cause it is "legal", LoL!

Edit: I have 6 bottles of government ""Organigram"" weed that if I actually wanted to use could kill me!
Click to expand...

What does this have to do with recreational cannabis?

I could break down all that’s misleading with your comments but, I’m too lazy, and wasn’t referring to the medical cannabis issue.
 
I smoked some Congolese and felt bad for being lazy. This thread is about legalization of recreational cannabis not the government medical cannabis program. I try not to speak about things I know nothing about (medical). My point of view is one of the recreational user.

But. Folks were basically poisoned. I remember that incident and that was messed up. I can see your point and anger. I wouldn’t buy their product either. If any of these companies grew cannabis, used pesticides, and sold tainted product to patients; they should be held accountable. Fines, class action lawsuits, or shut down. Whatever it takes.

From what I understand these pre-2017 companies, or their products were not required to be tested. They were self policed. Not all companies were found to be using pesticides or inadequate testing though. Issues were identified and some changes to the process were made.

No Licensed Producer gets its product on the shelf now without being batch tested. This is big business. The stakes are higher and more policies have made improvements. There will be occasional blips, much like any business with recalls to their product, but it’s how they prevent future issues that is important.

We don’t go to work wanting to do a crap job. Nobody does. People growing cannabis love doing it. LPs are not the only supplier to the stores. The GOOD illegal growers, mom and pop grows, now have avenues to become legal and sell their quality bud to stores as craft cannabis. It’s gotta be tested. The stores, for recreational cannabis, are not going to be full of poison. Perhaps Durban Poison.

Now, like it or not, we all have smoked some sketchy bud. I have been smoking for 25 years, with 24 of that smoke coming from the black market. I am 100% convinced some of that weed was tainted with some spray or another. Moving forward, if we continue buying black market cannabis...we never will know what we are inhaling, it’s never tested.

Black market cannabis, other than our buddies or uncles grow op, is typically funding other shady activities. Sometimes those family members are also involved in shady activities . I grew up around it. Participated in it. These people do illegal things, like growing or selling cannabis, so we shouldn’t be surprised that they have other illegal “hobbies”. Guns, cocaine, crack, heroine, property theft, and all the rest of it. It bleeds into each other and we feed it by purchasing their weed or allowing it in our stores.

I am talking about recreational weed. If you need cannabis for medicine and you can get cheap, clean, and quality medicine from a buddy or outside of the legal system then that’s what you gotta do.
 
UrbanAchiever said:
What does this have to do with recreational cannabis?
Click to expand...

The same licensed producers in the medical sector will be those producing for the recreational market. Mettrum, is also facing a class action lawsuit for selling tainted product. It seems as some LPs are not exercising due diligence and testing every batch as mandated by law. Health Canada apparently did not follow up on customer complaints.
 

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