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As Health Canada tightens up its medical cannabis regulations with their recently released Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), those interested in growing under the new regime are making haste to meet government compliance requirements. Medical Plants Canada Inc. (MPC) is one of the top contenders, seeing itself as ahead of the game.
MPC anticipates serving patients countrywide. As part of their company mandate, president and co-founder Clayton Almey puts patients first:
"The way I see it, we're here to replace compassion clubs. We plan to sell our product at $5 per gram, matching the government-subsidized prices under the old regime, and undercutting current compassion club prices. These clubs charge as much as 60% mark-up on their medicine, which just isn't fair to someone who needs cannabis to treat a serious medical condition."
Almey has extensive experience in medical cannabis production, acting as a consultant to several designated growers under the current program. Todd Kaighin, a well-known patient advocate and educator in the medical cannabis community, will also be acting as Chief Administrative Officer for the company.
Almey estimates MPC to be providing at least 30 strains to start, and at least 280 pounds of cannabis per month in their beginning months. Patients will be able to submit orders online, or through a custom-made app for user convenience.
MPC also plans to use only organically certified hydroponics and plant food, ensuring that their production process is friendly to the environment, and that the end product will be chemical-free.
Their facilities will be built to accommodate an in-house laboratory, which will be used to test for contaminants and potency. The lab will act as the site of their research and development activities as well. In the long term, subject to government approval, MPC is interested in conducting clinical research regarding edibles and oil-based extractions:
"For many patients, smoking isn't a recommended delivery method. For those with respiratory illnesses, it's obvious why. But for patients who use cannabis for pain management, orally ingesting cannabis is a much more effective method of treatment since it stays within your body for a longer period of time, and produces milder side effects," Almey explains.
In British Columbia, cannabis in edible form such as in baked goods or butter, are allowed to be sold under the soon to be repealed Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR), thanks to a constitutional challenge by Owen Smith. However, under the MMPR, licensed producers can only sell cannabis in its dried form. For many sick patients who rely on ingestion as a method of delivery, extracting the medical elements of the plant themselves is simply too onerous a task. MPC's future plan, subject to government approval, is to submit its research as part of a lobbying effort to amend the MMPR and allow producers to sell forms of cannabis other than dried marijuana.
Many have criticized Health Canada's move to a more industrialized approach to medical cannabis as unfair, since it takes away patients' freedom to grow for personal use. Almey agrees that this may drive up the cost up for some patients, but contends that under the MMPR, patients will be ensured access to medicine that is produced in safe, sanitary, and tested conditions, employing standardized processes. "A balancing act had be struck," he says.
In the future, MPC hopes to encourage both federal and provincial government programs like NIHB and ODB, and private healthcare insurers to subsidize their prices.
Medical Plants Canada anticipates to be up and running by autumn 2013.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: wireservice.ca
Author: wireservice.ca
Contact: Wire Service Media
Website: Medical cannabis producer puts patients first :: Wire Service Media
MPC anticipates serving patients countrywide. As part of their company mandate, president and co-founder Clayton Almey puts patients first:
"The way I see it, we're here to replace compassion clubs. We plan to sell our product at $5 per gram, matching the government-subsidized prices under the old regime, and undercutting current compassion club prices. These clubs charge as much as 60% mark-up on their medicine, which just isn't fair to someone who needs cannabis to treat a serious medical condition."
Almey has extensive experience in medical cannabis production, acting as a consultant to several designated growers under the current program. Todd Kaighin, a well-known patient advocate and educator in the medical cannabis community, will also be acting as Chief Administrative Officer for the company.
Almey estimates MPC to be providing at least 30 strains to start, and at least 280 pounds of cannabis per month in their beginning months. Patients will be able to submit orders online, or through a custom-made app for user convenience.
MPC also plans to use only organically certified hydroponics and plant food, ensuring that their production process is friendly to the environment, and that the end product will be chemical-free.
Their facilities will be built to accommodate an in-house laboratory, which will be used to test for contaminants and potency. The lab will act as the site of their research and development activities as well. In the long term, subject to government approval, MPC is interested in conducting clinical research regarding edibles and oil-based extractions:
"For many patients, smoking isn't a recommended delivery method. For those with respiratory illnesses, it's obvious why. But for patients who use cannabis for pain management, orally ingesting cannabis is a much more effective method of treatment since it stays within your body for a longer period of time, and produces milder side effects," Almey explains.
In British Columbia, cannabis in edible form such as in baked goods or butter, are allowed to be sold under the soon to be repealed Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR), thanks to a constitutional challenge by Owen Smith. However, under the MMPR, licensed producers can only sell cannabis in its dried form. For many sick patients who rely on ingestion as a method of delivery, extracting the medical elements of the plant themselves is simply too onerous a task. MPC's future plan, subject to government approval, is to submit its research as part of a lobbying effort to amend the MMPR and allow producers to sell forms of cannabis other than dried marijuana.
Many have criticized Health Canada's move to a more industrialized approach to medical cannabis as unfair, since it takes away patients' freedom to grow for personal use. Almey agrees that this may drive up the cost up for some patients, but contends that under the MMPR, patients will be ensured access to medicine that is produced in safe, sanitary, and tested conditions, employing standardized processes. "A balancing act had be struck," he says.
In the future, MPC hopes to encourage both federal and provincial government programs like NIHB and ODB, and private healthcare insurers to subsidize their prices.
Medical Plants Canada anticipates to be up and running by autumn 2013.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: wireservice.ca
Author: wireservice.ca
Contact: Wire Service Media
Website: Medical cannabis producer puts patients first :: Wire Service Media
