• Health Canada launching a $1.3-billion free market in medical marijuana
    27 replies, posted
From the [url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/federal-government-to-launch-billion-dollar-free-market-in-medical-marijuana/article14590161/]Globe & Mail[/url], through the Canadian Press. [quote=Deen Beeby]The Conservative government is launching a $1.3-billion free market in medical marijuana this Tuesday, eventually providing an expected 450,000 Canadians with quality weed. large indoor marijuana farms certified by the RCMP and health inspectors will produce, package and distribute a range of standardized weed, all of it sold for whatever price the market will bear. The first sales are expected in the next few weeks, delivered directly by secure courier. The sanctioned birth of large-scale, free-market marijuana production comes as the Conservatives pillory Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s campaign to legalize recreational marijuana. Health Canada is placing no limits on the number of these new capital-intensive facilities, which will have mandatory vaults and security systems. Private-dwelling production will be banned. Imports from places such as the Netherlands will be allowed. Already 156 firms have applied for lucrative producer and distributor status since June, with the first two receiving licences just last week.[/quote] My read on this is that this is just some clever political manoeuvring by the Tories. Legalization is popular among most Canadians 40-and-under; by taking the first steps towards a liberal market on the stuff they're making sure they aren't shut out of the polls for the next generation.
Private dwelling production is being banned? Wow what shit
Private dwelling production banned... so basically they can do it but no one else can, fuck that shit.
[QUOTE=DaysBefore;42347741]Private dwelling production is being banned? Wow what shit[/QUOTE] Well you wouldn't want government inspectors coming into your house looking around if you were growing weed for sale. It must be mass produced within government regulations for a mass consuming populace, and most importantly, the quality and safety of the product must also be assured. Having the state print "this bag of weed is top notch" is a good idea because at the very least you can be assured of the quality by the state.
Ahaha the conservatives are progressive. it's a win-win situation
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42348399]Well you wouldn't want government inspectors coming into your house looking around if you were growing weed for sale. It must be mass produced within government regulations for a mass consuming populace, and most importantly, the quality and safety of the product must also be assured. Having the state print "this bag of weed is top notch" is a good idea because at the very least you can be assured of the quality by the state.[/QUOTE] Also you can be assured the government won't be mixing anything else in with it. ...or will they? :tinfoil:
The last time this was attempted (in my town, even) the weed was terrible and production was halted soon after. Let's hope they actually hire competent growers and use quality plants this time. [editline]29th September 2013[/editline] Also I trust the Conservative government will be charging Health Canada and sentencing them under their new mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for this? Kind of odd how they tout this as a free market thing immediately after passing laws that mandates their competition be put in jail.
[QUOTE=pentium;42348736]Also you can be assured the government won't be mixing anything else in with it. ...or will they? :tinfoil:[/QUOTE] Well governments already regulate road construction, regulate the water I drink, regulate my education, regulate what I eat, regulate what I watch on the television and the adverts I see, and regulate what drugs and medicines are considered safe and effective, plus who can be and who can't be a doctor. If they can build bridges without them falling down, improve public health by eliminating diseases such as smallpox and cholera through sanitation and vaccination programmes, plus help push up literacy rates, then they should be capable of regulating a green plant. If initially incompetent, reform the regulatory body. [editline]29th September 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Zeke129;42348863]Kind of odd how they tout this as a free market thing immediately after passing laws that mandates their competition be put in jail.[/QUOTE] It's difficult regulating gray markets when a lot of people grow weed by themselves. Like, it would be comical to see some safety inspector come into your house and go "Hello, I'm here to see the weed room to make sure you are keeping to health and safety standards." "This place smells very strongly of weed and the people next door complain about the sound, I'm afraid I will have to issue you a fine."
I agree with banning private production. It's better that production is based on a regulated system rather than someone's back shed with turpentine. Admittedly it hasn't helped that much with cigarettes, but hopefully the conservative fear of the health effects of marijuana will balance that out.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42348963]Well governments already regulate road construction, regulate the water I drink, regulate my education, regulate what I eat, regulate what I watch on the television and the adverts I see, and regulate what drugs and medicines are considered safe and effective, plus who can be and who can't be a doctor. If they can build bridges without them falling down, improve public health by eliminating diseases such as smallpox and cholera through sanitation and vaccination programmes, plus help push up literacy rates, then they should be capable of regulating a green plant. If initially incompetent, reform the regulatory body. [editline]29th September 2013[/editline] It's difficult regulating gray markets when a lot of people grow weed by themselves. Like, it would be comical to see some safety inspector come into your house and go "Hello, I'm here to see the weed room to make sure you are keeping to health and safety standards." "This place smells very strongly of weed and the people next door complain about the sound, I'm afraid I will have to issue you a fine."[/QUOTE] Great, the government is capable, that's not a reason why an individual should not be able to grow it themselves. As you said, it's simply a green plant, we're free to grow any fruits, trees, etc, I think the people are capable of growing marijuana if they want to, and they should be able to, medicinal or not, it's a plant, it should definitely be legal for anyone regardless.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42348963] It's difficult regulating gray markets when a lot of people grow weed by themselves. Like, it would be comical to see some safety inspector come into your house and go "Hello, I'm here to see the weed room to make sure you are keeping to health and safety standards." [/QUOTE] The solution would be to simply have it no longer be a grey market and regulate the private production of weed (for sale) the same way private food service establishments are regulated, or have some kind of monopsony like the Wheat Board (from before the conservatives abolished its monopsony) to regulate quality.
[QUOTE=SoaringFallus;42349518]Great, the government is capable, that's not a reason why an individual should not be able to grow it themselves. As you said, it's simply a green plant, we're free to grow any fruits, trees, etc, I think the people are capable of growing marijuana if they want to, and they should be able to, medicinal or not, it's a plant, it should definitely be legal for anyone regardless.[/QUOTE] It's because it's [b]medical[/b] marijuana. That makes it a medical product, and therefore it has to adhere by government regulations so as to make sure it's safe for consumption and the consumer isn't being cheated. Like it or not, there's little from stopping a backyard grower from stretching his drug supplies with other products. In the middle ages they would put sawdust in bread and grind up charcoal to mix with spices, and the market isn't exactly regulated (you can't go to a policeman and say "hey this dude sold me bad weed can you do something about that?") [editline]29th September 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Zeke129;42349564]The solution would be to simply have it no longer be a grey market and regulate the private production of weed (for sale) the same way private food service establishments are regulated, or have some kind of monopsony like the Wheat Board (from before the conservatives abolished its monopsony) to regulate quality.[/QUOTE] I agree as well. Anybody should be able to grow weed, provided it adheres by government regulation. Small scale private growers would quickly vanish anyways though, once prices collapsed.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42349610] I agree as well. Anybody should be able to grow weed, provided it adheres by government regulation. Small scale private growers would quickly vanish anyways though, once prices collapsed.[/QUOTE] Small scale growers would still exist for the same reason farmer's markets still exist, some people like to just go to the supermarket and get their produce while other people like to buy locally from people they know.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42349641]Small scale growers would still exist for the same reason farmer's markets still exist, some people like to just go to the supermarket and get their produce while other people like to buy locally from people they know.[/QUOTE] They would exist, but would be marginal. The bulk of weed would be coming industrially, like most other products.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42349746]They would exist, but would be marginal. The bulk of weed would be coming industrially, like most other products.[/QUOTE] growing weed isn't all that hard provided you have space for it. I know if I had the ability to do it, I'd have a few plants going year round in the greenhouse we have here. [editline]29th September 2013[/editline] while marginal, that margin helps certain people a lot.
[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;42349790]growing weed isn't all that hard provided you have space for it. I know if I had the ability to do it, I'd have a few plants going year round in the greenhouse we have here. [editline]29th September 2013[/editline] while marginal, that margin helps certain people a lot.[/QUOTE] Depends. How low are you willing to lower prices? Do remember that if weed were legalized tomorrow, everybody and their dog would be planting them on their windowsills and in their gardens hoping to make a quick buck. Prices would collapse, and many people would stop bothering after a while. After that, once the big farms got going, prices would collapse even further and many wouldn't be bothered with it. If it is so easy to grow things, why do people buy cress, despite it being stupidly easy to grow with a piece of tissue paper and a bag of seeds?
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42349840]Depends. How low are you willing to lower prices? Do remember that if weed were legalized tomorrow, everybody and their dog would be planting them on their windowsills and in their gardens hoping to make a quick buck. Prices would collapse, and many people would stop bothering after a while. After that, once the big farms got going, prices would collapse even further and many wouldn't be bothered with it. If it is so easy to grow things, why do people buy cress, despite it being stupidly easy to grow with a piece of tissue paper and a bag of seeds?[/QUOTE] because people specialize and don't want to do everything themselves. it's cheaper to grow your own food, it would be cheaper to grow your own marijuana. the problem is that these things take effort and not everyone can be bothered. not to mention growing a plant requires a space investment which isn't feasible for a lot of people. even if you have a house, most people want to use their yards for things other than growing food or drugs.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42349840]Depends. How low are you willing to lower prices? Do remember that if weed were legalized tomorrow, everybody and their dog would be planting them on their windowsills and in their gardens hoping to make a quick buck. Prices would collapse, and many people would stop bothering after a while. After that, once the big farms got going, prices would collapse even further and many wouldn't be bothered with it. If it is so easy to grow things, why do people buy cress, despite it being stupidly easy to grow with a piece of tissue paper and a bag of seeds?[/QUOTE] Oh I wouldn't do it to sell, merely to not have to buy.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;42349888]because people specialize and don't want to do everything themselves. it's cheaper to grow your own food, it would be cheaper to grow your own marijuana. the problem is that these things take effort and not everyone can be bothered. not to mention growing a plant requires a space investment which isn't feasible for a lot of people. even if you have a house, most people want to use their yards for things other than growing food or drugs.[/QUOTE] Of course. Whilst it may be cheaper, it may not be economically sound. One could accrue a lot more utility by spending that extra time they would have spend growing weed on a job that would make money, and in turn, buy more weed with that money than they could have grown.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;42349909]Of course. Whilst it may be cheaper, it may not be economically sound. One could accrue a lot more utility by spending that extra time they would have spend growing weed on a job that would make money, and in turn, buy more weed with that money than they could have grown.[/QUOTE] This is true but also somewhat situational. In my case, I can throw up a few plants in my green house and it doesn't take me any time more than planting tomatoes or something. Some other people also have this situation though I imagine it's more than rare. Similar situations could be imagined where people with gardening skills already investing time in such activities won't be hampered by one extra plant or crop
[QUOTE=Madtoker;42348340]Private dwelling production banned... so basically they can do it but no one else can, fuck that shit.[/QUOTE] Pretty sure it's also illegal to grow your own Tobacco or brew your own alcohol though so it makes sense that growing your own weed is illegal too, mostly because it's hard to regulate private production of drugs.
Just legalize it fully fuckin tightwad government cronies.
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;42354151]Pretty sure it's also illegal to grow your own Tobacco or brew your own alcohol though so it makes sense that growing your own weed is illegal too, mostly because it's hard to regulate private production of drugs.[/QUOTE] in the usa it's perfectly legal to grow your own tobacco and brew your own beer.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;42371472]in the usa it's perfectly legal to grow your own tobacco and brew your own beer.[/QUOTE] I don't know about tobacco, but beer is definitely okay to make on your own. I know someone doing that right now.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;42348863]Also I trust the Conservative government will be charging Health Canada and sentencing them under their new mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for this? Kind of odd how they tout this as a free market thing immediately after passing laws that mandates their competition be put in jail.[/QUOTE] Health Canada is in this fucking mess to begin with because some muckraking cunts published allegations that Health Canada wasn't performing any compliance inspections on medical weed license holders with their tiny budget. While it's not true that HC was not performing any inspections, the entire MMAR (Canada's old medical mj program, being replaced with this) program was ill-equipped to deal with the number of licenses. HC is on the record as expecting that "few" would apply. The program made it far too easy to grow to sell. While this new program means nobody has a grow license anymore, the procedure to apply is far simpler. HC also looks at it like medication: It should come from a standard, tested source if you've been prescribed it the way you would be a course of antidepressants. Also, anyone here, if you live in BC, find yourself a [URL="http://sensiblebc.ca"]Sensible BC[/URL] petition and sign it to help get a referendum on decriminalizing weed in BC. It's only decrim because provincial referendums can't change federal law and the criminal code is federal, but it starts the ball rolling and directs BC to start pressuring Ottawa to harmonize the law with BC's wishes.
Cool, Canada is doing great. America's government just shut down too.
[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;42371887]Also, anyone here, if you live in BC, find yourself a [URL="http://sensiblebc.ca"]Sensible BC[/URL] petition and sign it to help get a referendum on decriminalizing weed in BC. It's only decrim because provincial referendums can't change federal law and the criminal code is federal, but it starts the ball rolling and directs BC to start pressuring Ottawa to harmonize the law with BC's wishes.[/QUOTE] Jean Chretien wanted so badly to decrim pot. You just knew what that guy wanted to do with his retirement.
Good, now I hope that their regulations will stop or at least discourage additives. I don't want weed to be the next tobacco. [editline]1st October 2013[/editline] Also as far as I can tell, growing for yourself will be allowed. Just not for distribution. [editline]1st October 2013[/editline] Similar to tomatoes
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