cannabisnews.com: Nearly a Third of Legal Marijuana Users Reject Pot





Nearly a Third of Legal Marijuana Users Reject Pot
Posted by CN Staff on April 29, 2004 at 15:21:22 PT
By Dennis Bueckert
Source: Canadian Press 
Ottawa -- Nearly a third of the patients who got marijuana through Health Canada's medical access program have returned the product, says an activist who sees that as proof that federal pot isn't worth smoking. "High school students in a cupboard could grow a product that is better and safer than what we're getting," said Philippe Lucas, who obtained the figures through the federal access to information law.
"I think it's much weaker than the government claims. I'd really suggest their testing is off." Lucas, director of Canadians for Safe Access, said tests commissioned by his pro-pot lobby group have found the federal product contains only 5.1 per cent THC rather than the 10.2 per cent claimed by Health Canada. It doesn't even look appealing, he added. "Visibly, it's horrible. There's visible stock and stem and it's ground far too fine to actually roll so you're forced to use it in a pipe and when you do it burns very black with dark, acrid ash. "They know it's no good, and they send it out to people who aren't just suffering from minor aches and pains but in some cases have AIDS and cancer." Health Canada spokeswoman Catherine Saunders said 29 out of 92 approved users either returned their pot or cancelled their orders, but she did not know the reasons. In two cases, doctors refused to take shipments at their offices, she said. The rules have been changed to allow shipment directly to patients. Saunders insisted that the marijuana is as potent as claimed. "It's tested, it's research grade, it's fully characterized and it's documented according to good manufacturing practices guidelines." She said the THC content is 10 per cent plus or minus 1.5 per cent. That's comparable to black market pot which averages 10 per cent, she said. The government marijuana is grown for the government by Prairie Plant Systems of Saskatoon in an abandoned mine at Flin Flon, Man. Lucas said the marijuana is so widely reviled that Prairie Plant Systems includes a return form with every order. "Having smoked it myself, I think they're having a lot of problems with the way they're treating it post-cultivation. That's why this product is burning black and barely burning at all, frankly." Given that Prairie Plant System is in the fourth year of a $5.5-million, five-year contract, and has shipped 279 ounces of pot, he estimates that each ounce costs the government $16,000. "Absolutely outrageous," said Lucas. "Black market cannabis currently goes for $150 to $200 an ounce. That's for triple A (top quality). "As a medical marijuana user I'm absolutely shocked, bowled over and offended by what's going on at Health Canada. But as a Canadian taxpayer I'm even more bothered." Saunders said Health Canada does not calculate the cost of its medical marijuana program on a per-ounce basis. She said the benefits of the program for patients who are seriously ill, and for researchers, are much broader than can be broken down by ounce of product. Complete Title: Nearly a Third of Legal Marijuana Users Reject Government PotSource: Canadian PressAuthor: Dennis BueckertPublished: April 29, 2004 Copyright: 2004 The Canadian PressRelated Articles & Web Sites:Canadians for Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccess.ca/Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmGov't Wrong To Push Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18569.shtmlMedical Marijuana: How To Acquire and Distributehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18562.shtmlHealth Canada's Reefer Madnesshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17376.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by Kegan on April 30, 2004 at 03:59:23 PT
Amigula Inc.
Amigula Inc. is a scam....... don't even bother.
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Comment #7 posted by dapoopa on April 30, 2004 at 01:42:23 PT
Give medical cannabis contracts to private growers
This story just underscores that Health Canada should let Prarie Plant Systems' contract to grow and supply medical cannabis expire and then organize tenders for contracts with different private sector growers. A company like Amigula Inc. (OTC ticker AMJL, www.amigula.com) is a prime candidate to replace PPS and should be lobbying Health Canada in the coming months to fill the market demand. The current situation is simply untenable and changes are bound to occur.
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Comment #6 posted by Jose Melendez on April 29, 2004 at 20:46:20 PT
need more proof this works?
http://diegoboy83.tripod.com/archives/2002_02_01_archive.htmlThursday, February 28, 2002 ::    A quick update to that Drug War ad from the other day:
 
Libertarian Party Announcements wrote:Dear Libertarian:Two days have passed since we ran our full-page ads in the Washington
Times and USA Today, so I want to give you a follow-up report about
their impact.Before I do, I want to again thank everyone who contributed to this
project. YOU made it all possible.Here's the quick summary of the ad's aftermath:* We generated a solid amount of media coverage -- although not the
"breakout" coverage we had hoped for. (I'll explain the missing
ingredient that kept us from getting more media attention.)* We triggered a weird -- almost surreal -- response from the Drug
Czar's office.* We galvanized the drug reform movement, and generated more positive
comments from them than we have for ANY previous project.* We TRIPLED the number of daily visitors to our website. . . . We attacked the Drug Czar in our ad. He didn't respond.This was a deliberate decision on the part of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). We know of at least two journalists who
called the ONDCP for a reaction quote to our ads -- but never got a
return phone call. (They were Jon Dougherty from WorldNetDaily.com and
producer Rhyan Jones from the syndicated Blanquita Cullum show.)But one radio station did get through. And that brings us to....THE SURREAL RESPONSE.Mary Starrett, a host at KPDQ radio in Portland, Oregon, called Tom
Riley, the Drug Czar's spokesman -- and actually got a call back!It quickly became clear why Riley returned that ONE phone call: Drug
Czar John Walters is touring Portland next month, and Riley assumed it
was an interview request for that visit.When Starrett asked Riley about the Libertarian ad (to his surprise!),
he proceeded to give three wildly different reactions in the space of
just a few minutes:1) Yes, they saw the ad, but they were "confused" by it. "I mean, we
don't have $40 million to give to the Taliban," he said. "I guess you
could say I didn't get it."2) The ad was "adolescent and silly," he said.3) The ad was "great" because it's "cultivating a debate on the drug
war," he said. "People are now talking about the drug war."So, according to the Drug Czar's office, our ad was confusing,
adolescent, and great!Starrett asked Riley if he had received any other calls about the ad.
Keep in mind, we have first-hand information that at least TWO other
journalists called his office."You're the only person who called," said Riley.Starrett was dubious. "The ONLY person?" she asked.Riley: "Yes. You're the only one.""Oh come on, Tom," pressed Starrett. "Do you swear?"Riley: "Yes, I swear!"According to Starrett, Riley then got off the phone as quickly as he
could.So there you have the Drug Czar's office's response: Stonewall, grope
for a response, and blatantly lie.Unfortunately, it was an effective strategy. It appears to have kept
our ads from becoming more of a major news story.' . . . On Tuesday, February 26 (the day the ads appeared), we got more than
26,100 visitors to our website, www.LP.org. That's THREE TIMES the
usual number we get (an average of 8,600 a day.)The surge continued the following day: We got another 17,400 visitors.
(And these are unique visitors, not an inflated "page hits" count.) . . . We may never know exactly how Drug Czar John Walters reacted when he
saw his larger-than-life face staring at him from the pages of USA
Today.But I'll guarantee this: It had to sting.We can only hope that Mr. Walters will think twice about running his
propaganda ads again, now that he knows we have such a devastating
response -- and the ability to run it in major newspapers that reach
millions of people.Again, YOU made all this possible. Thank you.Ron Crickenberger
Libertarian Party Political Director
          :: Kevin Wagner 2/28/2002 11:18:44 PM see also: http://www.antiwar.com/bock/b042501.html
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on April 29, 2004 at 20:37:47 PT
Speaking of Canada, I wonder how this is going?
(Sorry...this is a repost, but it probably is more appropriate here)http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news.asp?id=184Prime Minister to visit Washington, D.C. NEWS RELEASE April 23, 2004 Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Paul Martin will visit Washington, D.C. on April 29 and 30, 2004 for meetings with US President George W. Bush and congressional and other non-governmental leaders. This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the Prime Minister and President, following on their January 13 meeting in Monterrey, Mexico. "Because the Canada-U.S. relationship is so central to our respective interests, we must develop a more sophisticated relationship based on informed dialogue, shared values and respect for our differences," said the Prime Minister. "While I do not anticipate major breakthroughs, I look forward to advancing issues that are of critical importance to Canadians as we place our working relationship on a firm footing." On April 29, the Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address to the "Director's Forum", a gathering jointly hosted by the Center for Global Development and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Following the address, the Prime Minister will participate in a roundtable discussion with Washington think tank representatives, hosted by Lee Hamilton, President and Director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. On Thursday afternoon, the Prime Minister will attend a series of meetings with Senate and House leaders.The Prime Minister will participate in a breakfast roundtable on April 30 with representatives of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), hosted by the Centre for Global Development. The discussion will be an opportunity to exchange innovative ideas on global development, including how NGOs can help further the recommendations of the UN Commission on Private Sector and Development, and the role that they can play in advocating for the provision of lower cost medicines for developing countries. The Prime Minister will then meet with President Bush in the Oval Office and continue their discussions over a lunch in the White House. The Prime Minister will raise a number of bilateral issues, including BSE and softwood lumber. In both cases, he will press for a resumption of normal trade. The Prime Minister will also update President Bush on Canada’s substantial progress on national security. The two leaders will discuss ongoing border cooperation, the global campaign against terrorism, the environment, and exchange views on a wide range of multilateral issues, including Haiti, Afghanistan, the Middle East, as well as the upcoming G-8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia.The Prime Minister will be accompanied in Washington by Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham, International Trade Minister Jim Peterson, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Bob Speller and Scott Brison, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Canada-U.S. Relations. (Sorry...this is a repost, but it probably is more appropriate here)http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news.asp?id=184
http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news.asp?id=184
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 29, 2004 at 18:41:53 PT
Just Another Note
That was me that posted the test using Marc's name. He couldn't post here today and I was checking it out for him. I hope no one else has trouble.
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Comment #3 posted by mayan on April 29, 2004 at 18:14:16 PT
Designed to Fail
"It's tested, it's research grade, it's fully characterized and it's documented according to good manufacturing practices guidelines."Research grade, eh? That's scary. Any research done on this weed or those who use it will conclude that this truly is the "dreaded devil weed". For $16,000 an ounce one should get the desired effect just by looking at it! This program was designed to fail.The way out is the way in...Press Release: Greens call for Independent 9/11 Probe led by Family Members:
http://www.septembereleventh.org/newsarchive/2004-04-28-greens.php Bush, You Lying Sack Of ...
http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=6886&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported Too bad president needs a minder:
http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/column/nichols/73255.phpBush Cheney Hearing Was a Veritable Laughfest:
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=254&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0When The Explosives Were Placed: WTC South Tower Upper Floors Closed on 9/8 & 9/9:
http://prisonplanet.tv/articles/april2004/042304explosivesplaced.htm
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Comment #2 posted by Marc Paquette on April 29, 2004 at 17:51:46 PT
Just a Test
test
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on April 29, 2004 at 16:13:21 PT
PPS ordered to include stems and leaves
I have put this up before on Turmel's Medpot message1118- http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MedPot/message/1118 -at Yahoo where the president of Prarie Plant systems says he was instructed to grind in the stems and leaves. This is #25 in the form for the Hitzig appeal with Allen Young firm where PB is Paul Burnstein. This is a current appeal to the Canadian Supreme Court from the Ontario rulings of October 7. 2003. JCT is Turmel commenting on segments of #25. This is the entire #25 and only #25 even thought the segments make it look strange. The point being that Health Canada instructed PPS to grind in the leaves and stems. It is submitted as fact in this Hitzig appeal.25. Almost immediately following Health Canada's
announcement of its new interim policy and regulatory
amendments," several medical marijuana users, including a
number of the Applicants in this case, commenced the
application process required to gain access to the
Government's supply of dried marijuana. Many of those who
have obtained the Government-supply of marijuana have
complained about the poor quality of the marijuana that has
been provided to them. Most have found that the marijuana
provided by the Government has little or no beneficial
effect. Brent Zettl, the President of PPS, has indicated
that Health Canada has required PPS to blend lower-THC
strains with the higher-THC strains of marijuana which PPS
had previously produced.JCT: Which must have been too strong???PB: According to Mr. Zettl, Health Canada has also insisted
that PPS grind the entire dried plant - i.e., stalk, leaf
and "bud"*1 - into a single mixture which is then shipped to
the medical marijuana users.
*1 Marijuana smokers would not normally consume the stalk
and the leaf. It is the dried flower tops, commonly referred
to as "buds", which contain the active ingredients.JCT: Considering these are the guys who ban removing the
useless non-bud plant parts to make hash, it makes sense
that they'd also want to increase the danger of smoke by
adding the useless non-bud plant parts to the blend. They
sound crazy. I call it homicidal, even genocidal. Someone
should be in front of a judge to answer for this.And actually, there is some THC on the leaf, enough for
people to shake it off the leaves to make hash. You can see
the glassy crystals all over the plant, just that the buds
have much larger ones and moreso. And yet, it's the even
more-weakened shake with mainly the leafy cannabinoids that
oldsters want for marijuana muffins to put them to sleep at
night. The younger people may want the bud for the buzz
while the oldsters want the leaf for the sleepy relief. So
the statement that the leaf doesn't contain an objectionable
amount of THC is misleading, I'm sure they'd object.PB: As a result of the poor production qualify of the PPS-
marijuana, many authorized medical marijuana users have
chosen to cancel their subscription for the Government
supply and have returned to the vagaries of the black
market.JCT: You can trust bikers not to add junk to the herb like
our Government does.
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