By Jon Hiltz

 

This postal strike has massive implications for Canada’s medical marijuana patients.

In our recent coverage of the dispensary raids in Toronto, the big debate that sprung forth beyond the excessive force of police was whether or not mom and pop weed shops are wanted or even needed on the Canadian marijuana landscape moving forward.

Dispensary owners, patients, and even a federal judge all agree that medical marijuana patients should be able to receive their medicine using methods other than the mail or courier, which is currently the only legal way to obtain cannabis in Canada.

Now, there is a very good chance of a nationwide mail strike as early as July 2nd, and many believe there has never been a better example for why dispensaries need to be part of Canada’s marijuana landscape.

“We just have to approach the other courier options that exist in Canada,” says Jordan Sinclair, Communications Manager for Tweed, one of the country’s most prominent licensed producers. “We met with a few to figure out who would be best for our needs, and we have a seamless contingency plan in place.”

Although Tweed patients can clearly sleep soundly, one of the mail strike issues is the extra cost to patients who are already paying a lot for their medicine. In Canada, MMJ patients have the option to have their medicine sent by courier or Canada Post and the latter option is significantly less expensive.

Sinclair doesn’t believe that couriers are necessarily the more expensive option and perhaps at Tweed that is true. But there are other licensed producers, Maricann for example, where the courier option is significantly more costly, and it seems patients are expected to shoulder the expense. To marijuana patients across Canada, this seems like further insult to injury due to the fact that cannabis is the only doctor-prescribed medicine subject to sales tax.

Further to that, patients will now need to coordinate their marijuana deliveries with the pending strike. Those who decide to stock up and buy more will no doubt cause shortages of some of the more popular strains.

Some have suggested the idea that mail order marijuana be considered an essential service, meaning that it would be illegal not to deliver these packages. In a call to Canada Post with that question, Spokesperson Jon Hamilton had this to say. “That would be decided by the government in regards to essential service; we’re focused on trying to maintain operations and a flexible service.”

Tania Cyalume and Brandy Zurburg are the owners of Queens of Cannabis in Toronto, and they clearly see why this is an issue. “If a package was to go missing before the strike for example who knows how long it will go on for [before the medicine is delivered],” said Tania. Both Tania and Brandy also go on to make a good point, that in the absence of your trusted mail carrier, patients are now going to be forced to use a different option. “Everybody knows what is in those packages,” said Brandy and for people who live in outer rural areas, they also know their local couriers, who will now be aware that they are MMJ patients. “It’s a breach of privacy.”

It is too soon to tell if the mail service will shut down across Canada, and Canada Post is hopeful they can avoid a strike, but if it does come as expected, have a few extra bucks on hand for UPS.