Are you an Ontario farmer that needs a new cash crop? Health Canada is looking for firms to bid on a contract to cultivate and distribute medical marijuana.
Right now Prarie Plant Systems Inc. in Flin Flon, Man. has the
contract.
The firm that wins the bid will have to be sending out a steady supply of the 'wacky tobacco' by this fall to those who are certified for medical use.
Health Canada has the posting on a government tenders website asking for bids to be submitted in the spring of 2008 without a specified date.
Ottawa has become a reluctant dealer of the weed since court ruling forced it into the medical marijuana biz. The medical marijuana program licences those who are certified medical users to grow their own Mary Jane, have someone grow it for them or buy it straight from Health Canada.
Health Canada's supplier has been paid more than 10 billion dollars to grow the weed in a mine shaft in Flin Flon, Man. Prairie Plant Systems ships 30-gram packages straight to users via courier.
Prairie Plant has had the contract to grow marijuana for Health Canada since late 2000. Since 2006 it has been extended in six month installments.
"We didn't expect that this process would be able to continue. ... These are the rules that they have to abide by," Zettl said.
"We had anticipated internally that something would have to happen. We expected it would be something along these lines."
It is expected that the firm will bid on the new contract.
What could be at stake in this contract is supplying all medical marijuana users as Health Canada works to end the licensing of home grown weed. When and if that happens medical users will have to get their marijuana straight from Ottawa. It may end up on the local pharmacy shelves.
There are concerns though that the government will not be able to keep up with enough supply.
"The government's just had such a horrible track record in terms of supplying medication to patients," he said.
"There are many different strains of cannabis out there and the government's position to date has been, 'Well, we're growing one strain and we've got one supplier and that's it. Live with it.'
"The pharmacological evidence is that different ailments require, and different symptomology require, treatment with different strains. And the government hasn't paid heed to that at all."
This January the Federal Court made it legal for growers to supply more than one licenced user. The federal government is appealing that ruling.
