HEALTH CANADA WANTS WEED USERS TO PAY UP FRONT

OTTAWA -- Health Canada is getting tough with patients who use
government-certified medical marijuana, demanding full payment in
advance before shipping the weed.

The move, effective Nov. 30, is designed to halt the rising number of
accounts in arrears -- and force more patients to pay off old debts
that now total more than $1.2 million.

"This change to a purchase-in-advance system will streamline the order
and payment process and will prevent further increases to the debt
load of the department," says a recent Health Canada letter issued to
users.

More than 4,600 people in Canada are licensed to use medical marijuana
to treat a wide range of conditions, including chronic pain, that may
not be resolved by standard prescription drugs.

Several court rulings forced a reluctant Health Canada to get into the
marijuana business in 2003 so that bona fide patients would not have
to rely on the black market for supplies.

Most authorized users grow their own pot or have someone else grow it
for them, all under licence, but some 800 are currently buying their
medical marijuana from Health Canada.

The government sells dried marijuana for $5 a gram -- about half the
price of street marijuana -- or 30 seeds for $20, plus GST.