B.C. PUSHERS DON'T WANT COMPETITION

Federal Project Would Serve Chronically Ill Marijuana Users

Kevin is in retail. He sells tiny bags of marijuana on the corner of East
Hastings and Hamilton, a few blocks from Vancouver's notorious Downtown
Eastside. One gram, ten bucks a pop.

Traffic is steady, but street peddlers like Kevin must move lots of tiny
plastic bags to get by. Pushing dope at this level is a risky, low-margin
business. For every gram of marijuana Kevin sells, he keeps just $2; his
"boss," he says, collects the rest.

He doesn't lack competition. On any given day, there might be two or three
other dealers selling locally grown pot on his corner. To close a sale,
Kevin must sometimes offer customers a discount. This means giving up some
of his commission.

He does not relish the prospect of competing with legitimate businesses,
such as, say, local pharmacies.

"That would just suck," spat Kevin, reacting to a news report this week
suggesting the federal government will soon launch a pilot project in B.C.
that would have marijuana dispensed from ordinary drug stores.

It's a notion that most B.C. pharmacists have embraced. "I think it's a
good thing," said the manager of Gastown Pharmacy, a small shop just down
the street from Kevin's corner. "I'm fine with it."

The idea of dispensing marijuana in pharmacies is being considered by
Health Canada, the federal department that regulates the sale of drugs in
this country. Health Canada officials say they have no choice but to make
marijuana more accessible. In October, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled
current regulations governing the distribution of marijuana for medicinal
use are so restrictive as to render them unconstitutional.

Approximately 700 Canadians with certain illnesses have permission to
consume marijuana. The drug can help stimulate appetite and can help
relieve some forms of chronic pain. It is thought to be particularly
beneficial for people suffering from the effects of full-blown AIDS or
multiple sclerosis.

Obtaining permission to use pot is not easy. Applicants must prove
conventional treatment of their maladies has failed. Some have also had to
obtain opinions from two specialist physicians.

Acquiring the product legally can be even more difficult, the Ontario court
noted. About 70 registered users consume marijuana that is supplied by the
federal government. The pot is grown by a private company in an old mine
shaft in Flin Flon, Man. Although raised under strict government
supervision and subject to rigorous testing, the Manitoba marijuana is
considered vastly inferior to black market weed.

Alternatively, authorized dope users may grow their own. But this isn't
practical for seriously ill people and, again, quality is an issue. The
last legal alternative for users is to have a friend or relative grow their
pot for them. This is not a completely reliable solution, either: Under
this scenario, no money may change hands, not even for supplies. In theory,
at least, anyone growing pot for a sick friend must do it gratis.

There are so-called "compassion clubs" in Canada that help provide
chronically ill people with dope. But again, access is limited; compassion
clubs tend to exist only in large urban settings.

And so it falls to underground dealers such as Kevin to pick up the slack.
Their marijuana may be potent, but it is cultivated by criminal
organizations. People who buy their pot on the street risk being cheated or
being arrested by police.

The solution, say B.C. pharmacists, is not to legalize marijuana but to
improve the distribution to registered users.

Last fall, the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia took the
unprecedented step of adopting a policy supporting the sale of medical
marijuana in community pharmacies. It is not some get-rich-quick scheme.

"We don't really regard this as a great business opportunity," said Brenda
Osmond, the College's deputy registrar. She noted the number of Canadians
authorized to consume government-issued pot is miniscule.

So why did the College create its pro-pot policy? According to Dr. Osmond,
80% of members surveyed liked the idea. Because pharmacists are trained
"medication experts," it simply makes sense that they be allowed to
dispense marijuana, she said.

"We can advise the patient how to consume the product," she said. "For
example, many people assume that marijuana must be smoked. We would not
encourage that. We would provide the patient with alternative methods, such
as oral consumption."

Pharmaco Therapy Consulting Group, a Vancouver-based pharmacological
consulting firm, is already developing a pilot project proposal.

"I won't go into details," Pharmaco partner Glenda MacDonald said. "We are
still early in the development stage. But there is clearly a need for
better access to medical marijuana. And we know it is effective in the
treatment of pain and appetite improvement and muscle spasticity and
seizure control."

It's now up to Health Canada to decide how to proceed with the initiative.
Some kind of test program will likely be introduced within the year,
department spokeswoman Catherine Saunders said.

Still, underground dealers such as Kevin needn't much worry about
pharmacists muscling in on their turf with deeply discounted bud. The
market for non-medicinal marijuana in Canada continues to grow, police say.
Street prices remain steady. Our appetite seems insatiable.