Ontario’s plan to sell legal pot shows that the province will open 40 stores by next summer, using LCBO-running standard. While most illegal dispensaries being critical about this, licensed marijuana clinic believes their business will go on as usual.
“At first I thought it might affect us in a negative way but overall I feel that we will still be here because there’s a lot of people that benefit from our services, especially the seniors and people that are really have a chronic serious diagnosis.” Says Dwight Simpson, Medical Administrator from Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services.
Crystal Ramdharry, patient educator from Bodystream says that there might be a spike of patients because medical marijuana is financially easier.
“For medical purposes, they are going to get a lot of insurances and agencies that will cover it so that would help people financially,” Says Crystal Ramdharry.
The province’s pot legalization plan means Ontario residents will be able to buy marijuana in stores but consuming marijuana will only be allowed in private residence. The plan will prohibit marijuana use in public. Crystal thinks that is bad news for medicinal users.
“I think a lot of people would suffer, we have a lot of patients that need it, people with epilepsy, it stops seizures, like the CBD oil, it’s actually for medical purposes,” Says the patient educator.
Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable to long periods of vigorous shaking.
Although they are confident about their business in the wake of Ontario’s plan to sell legal pot, there is still a concern: they might lose certain amount of young customers.
“Younger people might have more knowledge that they can do that themselves especially if it’s legalized. They may not need the physician to tell them what they can or can’t take,” Says Crystal Ramdharry.