The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association ( BCCLA) responded to the release of government’s new regulations for medical marijuana which prevent patients from growing their own medication and restrict them to buying their medication from licensed operators by mail delivery.

Micheal Vonn, Policy Director, stated: “These new regulations are bound for a constitutional challenge, as the government has failed, yet again, to properly provide for the rights of patients. The heart of the new regulations is to license a medical marijuana industry and prevent patients from producing their own medical marijuana. But this plan does not include any mechanism for cost containment or cost coverage and requires patients who have been producing their own medication for daily needs to find anywhere from $500 to $2,500 per month to pay for their medication. Not a single person on a disability assistance income in this country could afford medication at this cost.

This isn’t an “access” program, it’s a series of regulations that the government knows full well will deny access to those most in need. We say this new program will be found unconstitutional by the courts and it is shameful that vulnerable patients are going to be badly harmed in the meantime.”