No Health Canada inspections for 15,000 licensed medicinal marijuana growers

The Harper government is changing the rules on medical marijuana so that by 2015, most patients won't be allowed to grow their own pot.

According to CBC News, Health Canada implemented its current medical marijuana access regulations in 2001. Under the program, people with "grave and debilitating illnesses" can be granted legal access to marijuana for medicinal purposes. People seeking a permit apply in writing to Health Canada, with a supporting document from a medical practitioner.

People who are licensed by Health Canada to possess medical marijuana can then apply for a permit to grow it for personal use, or to have someone else grow it for them through a "designated-person production licence" if they weren't able to grow their own.

But logistical issues and police concerns have led to a change in government policy.

A CBC News report Thursday, states that more than 15,000 people are licensed to grow medical marijuana in Canada, but Health Canada has no record of staff ever inspecting any of the growers.

Police organizations across the country have raised concerns about the program and about Health Canada's ability to monitor it. A 2010 RCMP report contains evidence that 37 convicted traffickers have obtained licenses and that some growers have abused the system or have ties to organized crime.

Local governments are also unhappy with the current program.

Last Fall, the City of Surrey, British Columbia asked Health Canada for the locations of all current and future medical marijuana grow-ops, hoping to inspect the sites for building, electric, fire and safety violations.

Dan Barnscher, Surrey's deputy fire chief, says residential grow operations -- legal or not -- pose serious fire and safety risks, along with increased crime and nuisance hazards.

"The biggest thing is the lack of disclosure," Barnscher told the Tyee.ca.

"Health Canada will not disclose locations of [medical marijuana] license holders to local governments."

The new rules should help solve those concerns.

The government is planning to do away with both personal production and designated production licenses. Instead, Health Canada will authorize a few licensed commercial producers who would essentially sell the marijuana direct to the patient by courier.

Under the new rules, someone with a grave and debilitating illness would go see a doctor for a marijuana prescription. The patient would then send the prescription to an authorized grower, who would ship the drug to the patient.

In a recent interview with the Maple Ridge News, Conservative MP Randy Kamp said licensed growers will be able to select the varieties they produce as well as the prices they charge.

The new system will reduce the number of medical pot growers, he said, but make them larger.

"We don't know how many, but there will be a relatively small number of authorized growers."

Kamp said pharmacies were considered as a means of distribution, but that would require a drug identification number.

Doctors didn't want to be involved either, he added, but "it's difficult not to get their participation."