Proponents of Canada’s new medical marijuana program promise patients will eventually have an abundance of choices. Even now, with just 11 commercial entities licensed so far, there’s pot worth bragging about.

Toronto’s Bedrocan Canada is bringing in strains of marijuana its Netherlands affiliate has spent nearly a decade perfecting. And Markham’s MedReleaf Corp.’s offerings will originate with a respected Israeli producer.

Meanwhile, Vancouver Island’s ThunderBird Biomedical Inc. is proud to offer a homegrown solution. “It’s called BC Bud worldwide because we know what to do,” said a representative by email. “Why on Earth would we import it? Do the French import Australian Champagne? ... We have Grand Cru here.”

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Under Canada’s new Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), which roll out completely on April 1, the government appoints and oversees producers. The old guidelines allowed users to grow their own medical marijuana or purchase it from the government.

But don’t expect to see any clever ads for their product.

Licensees are only allowed to lobby doctors and other health practitioners, since Health Canada prohibits the promotion of marijuana, defining it as a narcotic, along the lines of OxyContin.

The Narcotic Control Regulations stipulate: “No person shall…publish or cause to be published or furnish any advertisement to the general public respecting a narcotic”

“You are not allowed to advertise in any way which could be perceived as generating demand for the product,” said Bruce Linton, chairman of Smith Falls-based Tweed Inc. “But being credible and visible is different than advertising. We can educate doctors as group, or at their offices. We have our websites; and we can build our brand through media relations.”

However, with Health Canada forecasting a $1.3-billion medical marijuana industry by 2024, competition for patients is bound to be fierce. Some licensees have gone further than others to get their name out in front of the public.

Since the ratio of Cannabidiol (CBD, the plant’s major non-psychoactive component) to Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the ingredient that makes users ‘high’) seems to determine marijuana’s therapeutic potential, there’s good reason for suppliers to make their wares known.

One strain may be more suited to glaucoma, for example, while another might work best for inflammation. Patients might pester their physicians for certain brands.

The Star Googled “medical marijuana Canada” over several days this week and found the top paid ad was for Toronto’s Mettrum Ltd. The company did not respond to requests for comments by press time.

The Star also received a scan of a letter which Saskatoon’s Prairie Plant Systems Inc. sent to a user encouraging them to transfer their prescriptions to Prairie’s “distribution affiliate” CanniMed Ltd.

Prairie, which provided medical cannabis to patients under the outgoing system on behalf of Health Canada, is now operating as the manufacturing arm of CanniMed, which is “basically the online pharmacy that interacts with the patients under the new regulations,” said CEO Brent Zettl.

“The form letter that we sent was only for individuals who had been in contact with PPS over the last period of time. We know that we can’t advertise. We know that we can’t solicit.

“Patients who are dependent on a product of a specific Cannabidiol profile, nobody’s been informing them of where they can get their very specific medicine under the new program. Health Canada hasn’t offered that because they’re afraid of promoting one LP over another, or whatever their reason would be,” said Zettl.

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Health Canada spokeswoman Sara Lauer would not address the Star’s specific questions about Mettrum and Prairie activities but said in an email “licensed producers who disregard the requirements of the Narcotic Control Regulations may be subject to compliance and enforcement action by Health Canada which could include revocation of their licence.”

“The regulations surrounding the marketing of this product at this time we’re finding to be a little bit ambiguous or vague”, said MedReleaf CEO Neil Closner whose company is focused on overcoming reluctant “I don’t know how to prescribe a plant” doctors.

Bedrocan Canada CEO Marc Wayne, who like Closner will offer one of the high-CBD, low-THC marijuana combinations that has been mentioned often in connection with the treatment of childhood epilepsy, is also bent on winning over the healthcare sector.

“The way you differentiate yourself in this field is with high level thought leadership projects that are outside of the scope of advertising yet kind of develop a name for ourselves in the industry; for example, put out scientific papers that speak to the science and the research of medicinal cannabis, not necessarily your product,” he said.

“The last thing you want is billboards advertising cannabis and marijuana all over the city. In my opinion, it’s appropriate that it shouldn’t be advertised and it shouldn’t be promoted, but rather just money invested in educating stakeholders, physicians, along with the responsible community programs that also speak to the dangers and the safety issues of the drug.”