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“Previous stigma with cannabis has placed the industry under a microscope,” said the statement. “However, there have also been success stories at the company level and at the industry level.”

Under the old regime, patients could grow their own pot, have a designated person do the growing, or buy from Health Canada. But the system was rife with abuse, prompting federal regulators to switch to a new system last year, which restricts production to licensed commercial producers and does not allow patients to possess more than 150 grams of dried marijuana at any time.

A group of B.C. patients sued the government in Federal Court, arguing that the new rules were overly restrictive and would make marijuana unaffordable, forcing them to “choose between their liberty and their health.” Whereas the cost to produce marijuana under the old system ranged from $0.50 to $2 per gram, the cost under the new regime would be $8 to $12 per gram, they said.

A judge granted a temporary injunction, allowing those who had previously been allowed to possess and grow marijuana under the old system to keep doing so, at least until the constitutional challenge was heard. The trial is set to begin Feb. 23.

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For the 23 commercial producers currently licensed in Canada, the injunction has meant a smaller pool of potential customers. Under the old regime, there were roughly 35,000 Canadians licensed to possess marijuana. Commercial producers currently report having about 14,000 clients.