Medicinal marijuana prices in Canada to rise

Those who use marijuana for medicinal purposes in Canada may want to reach for the aspirin when they learn about a pending price increase.

Proposed regulations posted by Health Canada say the price of medical marijuana should rise to $8.80 cents a gram —currently it ranges from $1.80 to $5 a gram.

The proposals say medical marijuana should be treated more like any other medicine.

Essentially, the new system will create licensed grow-ops that people could shop at, provided they have a prescription from their doctor.

Currently, those who wish to use medical marijuana must apply for a permit from the government in order to either grow it themselves or buy it from a single government grower.

Some of the proposed changes include:

• Including marijuana extracts and "edibles" as a legal source.
• Allowing store-front, community-based dispensaries that would be licensed by the government.
• Providing identification cards indicating an individual is allowed to have the marijuana.

The government is inviting public comment on the new system for the next 75 days.