Medical Marijuana Consumers Fear Privatisation May Burden with High Price
The idea of legalising the production and distribution of medical marijuana is to maintain a standardised quality of the product. The industry which is forecasted to grow to $1.3 billion by the year 2024 will apparently lessen the risks involved in growing it at home. However, many fear that the privatisation of medical marijuana is going to cost pretty high.
CBC reports about Mark Gobuty who has been engaged in growing marijuana in his farm. Mr Gobuty's The Peace Naturals Project is one of the very first companies that got the green signal from Health Canada for producing medical marijuana and distributing it in dried form. Medical marijuana users are no longer required to buy their supply from a list of suppliers approved by the government starting from April.
Mr Gobuty, whose secluded farm is in Clearview Township, informs that his company focuses on the production and distribution of quality products. At the same time, he is well aware of the fact that there is an emotional side of selling drugs. He says that his company wants to help people. They want to provide 'peace' to their customers he says.
On the contrary, Mr Gobuty's vision of providing peace to his customers is likely to have a price tag. Some of the medical marijuana users are extremely worried that the privatisation of the trade may burden them with high cost. Marcel Gignac is one of those worried customers.
Mr Gignac buys his medical marijuana from a designated grower. However, his wife grows it on her own since she needs it for easing the pain caused by arthritis, hip and knee replacement. According to Mr Gignac, her wife pays around 5 cents for a gram of medical marijuana. He says that they are not going to afford to buy it from private sellers.
Mr Gignac says that his options are limited. Either he has to 'suffer and die' or he can grow it himself illegally and get jailed for it. He has to smoke marijuana 30 grams every day as he must treat multiple sclerosis.
According to estimates by Health Canada, consumers have to pay $7.60 for a gram in 2014 whereas they pay about $1.80 for a gram at present.