Medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since 2001; however, users had to either grow their own or buy it from Health Canada. All of that changed in March 2014. Now, patients with valid prescriptions from a licensed health-care provider must buy their marijuana from a licensed producer.

Big Farms

Licensed producers are expected to be large, commercial farms that grow standardized strains with known chemical composition. More than 1,000 businesses have applied to become licensed marijuana providers, but so far only 22 have received a license. No matter- these 22 have been busily marketing their products to Canadians. Company websites generally show pictures of healthy plants and beautiful growing conditions. They also offer useful information about which strains are best for treating various medical conditions and how to prepare oils and other extracts from the dried plants. Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora, one of the licensed farms, explains that they are only allowed to sell dried plants, but many users of medical marijuana need their medication in a different form. [Read more…]