The issue of medical marijuana use, and even recreational sales of the drug is starting to heat up in Canada.
One of the biggest retail pharmaceutical chains in Canada is Shoppers Drug Mart.
The chain has 1,300 stores across the country and has been holding discussions with several of the 29 federally licensed medical marijuana producers about carrying various “brands” in their stores.
However at least one licensed grower says he has been contacted by other major drug retailers as well.
The reason may be the result of a Supreme Court decision last June that allows for the sale of marijuana in the more convenient form of oil, rather than just the leafy product which has to be smoked, and which is therefore somewhat counter-intuitive for pharmacists.
It’s still far from certain as the drug can now only be sold online as there is no regulatory structure for retail sales from a store. That could change as the government moves to legalize sales for recreational use as well.
Eventual drug store retail sales could also come into conflict with potential provincial plans for controlled retail sales. Canada’s most populous province, Ontario, is already considering the profit potential from retail sales, touting it’s provincial control of liquor sales through its network of Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCB0) retail stores.
Meanwhile a Federal Court ruling today could change everything as it decides whether medical marijuana users (about 30,000) can grow their own marijuana at home. In the ruling, the judge declared that a regulation preventing authorized users from growing their own marijuana has “no force”. The Marijuana for Medical Uses Act introduced in 2013 by the previous government required patients to buy from federally licenced producers. Patients who had been growing their own product prior to the act had challenged in in court and an injunction had been issued. In today’s decision, the judge said his ruling was suspended for six months to allow the current government to come up with new laws. However, he added the injunction which had temporarily allowed authorized users to continue growing marijuana for personal use, remains in effect.
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