Retail Investor's Perspective
The Globe and Mail, August 2016, addressed in detail, the accuracy and safety of marijuana that was being sold in dispensaries and obtained samples that were tested. The results can be found by online searches but some of the test results discovered the following:
•Citrobacter freundii, a human pathogen that can lead to *serious infections, particularly in the elderly and weak.
•High levels of yeast and mould.
•Presence of high numbers of bile-tolerant gram-negative *bacteria, a type of micro-organism that can include fecal *bacteria that cause infections.
•Other bacteria, and contaminants (including chemicals).
•Incorrect labelling with respect to the actual levels of *THC and CBD.
As recent as February 2017, the Ontario Provincial Police issued a warning that street bought recreational drugs, such as marijuana, were at risk of being laced with stronger drugs such as Fentanyl (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/opp-drug-guns-investigation-1.3995426).
Therefore, it appears reasonable that there are those individuals that qualify for a medical marijuana license but were sourcing it from illegal dispensaries or “street bought” and have since elected to ensure a reliable and safe supply to treat their medical condition and this too may be reflected in the recent increase in the nation-wide patient count.
If that was not enough, on February 27 The University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria published a study concluding that 63% of respondents “reported using cannabis instead of their prescription drugs, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and anti-depressants”. The study tracked more than 250 patients with “conditions such as chronic pain, mental health, and gastrointestinal issues”. Zach Walsh, a co-author of the study, suggested that “cannabis may have an important role to play in addressing problems associated to pharmaceutical medications …”
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