NEW RULES FOR GROWING MEDICAL CANNABIS

The federal government is expected to announce new rules for growing
medical marijuana that would allow only licensed growers to cultivate
and distribute it.

The move would eliminate individual and private growers from the
current system, whereby eligible people apply to Health Canada, which
then issues the licence.

People in the dispensing community say the change is unwelcome and
will do more harm than good.

"By privatizing the industry, they'll effectively be removing the
rights of medical cannabis patients to produce their own cannabis,"
said Adam Greenblatt, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of
Medical Cannabis Dispensaries.

A spokesman for the health minister said they will begin consulting on
new rules in the "near future." Steve Outhouse wouldn't give specifics
about any changes but said the rules "will balance patient access to
medical marijuana while strengthening public safety."