POLICE SLAM GRASS PRICE

OTTAWA -- The federal government is in the medicinal marijuana business and
the pot is going for the bargain basement price of $5 gram -- $10 cheaper
than it goes for on the street.

It's a deal police say will open the door to abuse by criminals -- a claim
medicinal users say is bunk.

Health Canada insisted yesterday it wasn't trying to be competitive with
the black market.

"What we did try to do is establish a price which is reasonable, based on
costs associated with the production and implementation of the program,"
Health Canada spokeswoman Cindy Cripps-Prawak said.

Ottawa said its program was only temporary and it will provide pot for
medicinal use for those who can't grow the weed, as well as selling bags of
30 seeds for $20, until the outcome of its appeal of an Ontario court decision.

Staff Sgt. Marc Pinault, head of the RCMP's marijuana grow operations
section, said the cheap federal price is opening the door for abuse.

"Are there people who are going to try and get around the rules in order to
take advantage of that price? Yes, there are people who are going to try
and do that," Pinault said.

And he said Health Canada is putting people at risk by refusing to give
police a list of the 413 people Ottawa has authorized to grow pot.

Police have failed in their attempts to convince the federal government
that providing the names and addresses of the people it has issued pot
growing licences could prevent injuries during dangerous drug raids,
Pinault added.

But, 70% of the 413 licensed pot growers have voluntarily said their names
and addresses could be made public -- and Cripps-Prawak said there have
been discussions with the RCMP about the feasibility of putting such
information on the national police data base, CPIC, with restrictions.

An Ontario court ruled Ottawa had until yesterday to come up with
regulations for distributing medical marijuana.

Cripps-Prawak said the federal government is proceeding with its appeal of
the Ontario ruling, which said it was unfair that medicinal users had to
turn to drug dealers for their stash, despite being authorized to use it
for health reasons.

The federal pot is coming from a lab in Flin Flon, Man.

Health Minister Anne McLellan said she's leery about the government being a
supplier.

"There have been no studies anywhere in the world that have been able to
confirm medicinal benefit," she said in Edmonton.

'We're not convinced in terms of the medicinal benefits which is why we are
supporting clinical trials."