Medical marijuana user worried about potential price spike

A Regina man who uses marijuana as a pain-control medicine is concerned an upcoming move by Health Canada may lead to a significant increase in prices.

• New medical marijuana regulations coming
• VIDEO: Canada's changing medical marijuana supply system

On April 1, Federal Health officials will implement new rules where only larger, commercial-scale producers of marijuana will be approved for medicinal production of the drug. That will effectively put small operations out of business.

According to some, it will lead to a spike in prices where a gram of marijuana will soon cost $7 per gram.

Carey Heilman believes the higher price will make things difficult for many people who rely on affordable access to the drug.

"These are people that are severely disabled, in many cases, and as a result [they are] low-income," Heilman said. "And they will just be unable to afford this medicine."

Heilman said the move to a higher-priced supply is unfair.

"If the government suddenly raised the price of insulin ten times the price it is right now, the effect that would have on diabetics is the same as it for a lot of these people," Heilman said. "And they're scared."

The federal government says the new rules are needed to improve the regulatory oversight of the medical marijuana industry.