Kelowna

Photo: Ragnar Haagen

The group marches towards MP Ron Cannan's office in Kelowna on Feb. 21, 2013.

Around a half dozen protesters gathered in the parking lot of the Capri Center mall and then marched inside to the office of MP Ron Cannan.

Some were members of Sensible BC and others were residents who believed in the cause – to rally against new proposed regulations that would raise the price of medical marijuana and outlaw the ability for patients to cultivate their own plants.

Sensible BC’s media spokesperson Michael Dissault-Jensen helped organize the event and feels the new law will hurt patients.

“This was a program that was designed for patients, with patients in mind to help them. It was not thoroughly put together and at this point it needs revamping,” he says.

“The cost of production for good grade cannabis is between one and two dollars per gram and that’s for an indoor situation with proper machinery. Health Canada is proposing eight dollars per gram, which is unacceptable.”

Jensen says a lot of patients are disabled and on pensions. They have their assigned growers and get their medicine at reasonable costs. If this goes through, he believes many patients will soon switch to opiates.

Another problem that continues to crop up is the lack of communication between Health Canada and law enforcement agencies across the country.

“I have found that RCMP don’t get any information about legal growers and legal patients… there is no formal way for the RCMP or any law enforcement in Canada to reasonably get this information safely to protect patients,” he says.

“I would gladly give my information to the RCMP to avoid them kicking in my door and telling me that I’m growing something illegal. 

Unfortunately, the group was quickly met by a security guard who appeared to be stationed outside Cannan’s office. He informed the protesters they were trespassing and led them towards the exits. A call to Cannan’s office found the MP was out of town in Vancouver for a BC caucus meeting.