MMPR Grow op: Small Scale

MarijeJane

Well-Known Member
Has anyone heard any news from Health Canada lately? It seems they have been quite quiet on the MMPR. Has anyone heard of an LP being close to getting their license?
 

mcmedmj

New Member
Hello,
I'm from Ontario, and looking to get LP set up outside the GTA. There are 2 LPs out there now, maybe 4 or 5? I can't wait to get this application over with so the real challenges can begin.

Hopefully a question someone has figured out already: I will either fall in level 5 or level 6 of the security requirements based on location. Does anyone know about this supposed paneling you can put on walls that turn a room into a vault? I don't see a bunch of big safes being practical, and do I need to cure in the safe? It's not "dry" but it's kinda dry. Where do you have to store "wet" product?
 

oakley1984

Well-Known Member
Hello,
I'm from Ontario, and looking to get LP set up outside the GTA. There are 2 LPs out there now, maybe 4 or 5? I can't wait to get this application over with so the real challenges can begin.

Hopefully a question someone has figured out already: I will either fall in level 5 or level 6 of the security requirements based on location. Does anyone know about this supposed paneling you can put on walls that turn a room into a vault? I don't see a bunch of big safes being practical, and do I need to cure in the safe? It's not "dry" but it's kinda dry. Where do you have to store "wet" product?
what you didnt know? health canada wants you to throw it in a dryer and then gamma irradiate it ;) quality/flavor/curing is inconsequential! if its nuked its HC approved!
 
From the Mettrum Ltd website:
Our Mailing Address
(We’re not quite ready to supply patients yet. We’ll post our address and notify you once our products are available)
Umm...is that an IT error? Or how did they get their LP and not have a facility inspected yet since they have no address?

Anyways...It's my first post here. I have not read all 57 pages of this thread, but have skipped through the better part of half.

I am in the Calgary area and have been trying to gain a feel from the communities in the area as to their acceptance of letting a LP operate in their town/city limits. I'm starting to get a sense that there is going to be something big happening in the Calgary area....and not in a good way. Calgary city planners, as well as Airdrie and a few other groups (Rural municipalities) are having a meeting within a few weeks to address the issue. It's unfortunate that the long-standing stigma of marijuana growing brings councils to fear gangland violence and corruption of youth. They never take a moment to think "Hey...would we so 'NO' to Pfizer opening a facility in our town?" I dare say that it might be an "all-or-nothing" agreement with these community planners.

So the price wars are to begin already! PPS has their prices as $9-$12/g and Peace Naturals @ $6/g and nothing posted by Mettrum (yet). So I wonder if these groups had already been producing under the earlier "R&D license"? Six months would be a very optimistic lead time if seed hit soil today and have harvested/cured/tested/QA'd product ready to ship for April 1. My guess is they were already growing, or their first 3 months of inventory is coming over from the Netherlands as we speak.

Cheers,
Stew
 

mikethegrower

Active Member
Wow!!!!!!

The more I read the more scared I become. When I read how much people are spending to start up, it freaks me to think what I'm going to have to pay for my medication. Does anyone have any kind of estimate as to what they're going to charge per gram, per oz per whatever weight you want to sell it by? I think at this point, I would be afraid of not getting patients to cover all my costs just to open the f'n doors. It's not just HC that has really screwed this program up! It could have been a great program, but there always has to be someone to take advantage of and want to profit from the sick and dying. Thank you to all the people who "grew" for "themselves or someone else" and just had to make a buck from it. For example, I was supposed to have a dg.. But that c sucker wanted 2 oz off the top "because we all have to do our share" and if anybody asks...... Why couldn't he just tell me it would cost x$ to grow for me. Instead, he waited until I had my licence before telling me it was going to cost me. It is snakes like this guy who,have ruined this program for people like me. I don't mean to sound whiney, just pissed right off and scared of what my future holds as far as medication goes.
Are you for real! Did you think someone was just going to grow for you for free? And yes you are a Whiner. Maybe you should grow your own and see how much it costs to grow your meds. He only wanted 2oz off the top you cheap fuck!
 

MarijeJane

Well-Known Member
I agree with mikethegrower! As a DG, you are supposed to charge your patients for all of their medicine. How did you think this works WHATFG? How is a DG going to cover their costs if they don't charge you for what you take?
 

WHATFG

Well-Known Member
Fuck you !!!


You're goddamned right I expected it for free especially when the first question I asked was how much will this cost me? I would have gladly paid for it but when I'm told from day one that it won't cost me anything.....yeah I got a problem with bait and switch bullshit.

I have seen other people on here post that they are growing for people because they like to grow and have some compassion for people and they say they are not charging. Are these people all liars too?

The purpose of the post was to point the finger at those greedy people, said group you may or may not belong to, that couldn't just leave the sick and dying alone. Why did this guy have to "take it off the top" what right does anyone have to fuck with the size of my prescription?

Can you really not see the underhandedness of the whole scenario? And if anybody asks......what the hell. DIRTY! DIRTY! DIRTY!
 
anyone have an idea of what the "average" prescription is? Numbers that I have come across vary from 1g/day up to 5g/day...again...as an average. Sure makes things tough to plan when there are no public numbers to work with.

If you figure that today, the estimated number of registered mmj patients ~40,000 @ 1g/day= 1.2 Million grams per month!! If the average is 3g/day, then that makes 3.6 million grams/month! That seems like a lot grams and is going to grow exponentially. I know that I could grow nearly 72,000 g/month on a conservative design. My worry is that too many people will hit the market with large LPs, and the flood of weed will lead to a price crash (as previously linked to as the "Great marijuana crash of 2011"). Makes me wonder if HC will actually limit the amount of MMPR licenses. Help to keep the market artificially inflated, and helps to prevent excess "legal" medicine from reaching the black market to make a profit for the LP.

Cheers
 

mr.weeds

Active Member
I have emailed HC long ago and was told that when your application gets approved its a conditional approval. You then are appointed a contact person and need to setup a site inspection. Before then is when you can setup your facility. All you need to have before sending in application is a site whether rented or owned and that can be made with terms whether approved or not.
I'm currently needing financing or else I can't attain a site but I like kootenaygirls idea with the banks.

Also yes people do grow for patients for free but they are taking a cut off the top, nobodies paying for anything.
 

Kron3007

Well-Known Member
I have emailed HC long ago and was told that when your application gets approved its a conditional approval. You then are appointed a contact person and need to setup a site inspection. Before then is when you can setup your facility. All you need to have before sending in application is a site whether rented or owned and that can be made with terms whether approved or not.
I'm currently needing financing or else I can't attain a site but I like kootenaygirls idea with the banks.

Also yes people do grow for patients for free but they are taking a cut off the top, nobodies paying for anything.
I was told quite the opposite. They told me that getting a site inspection is not a conditional approval and that there is no guarantee given or implied. I assume that if you get a site inspection you have essentially been pre-approved, but that dosnt help too much with investors.
 

GreenEra2013

New Member
I was told quite the opposite. They told me that getting a site inspection is not a conditional approval and that there is no guarantee given or implied. I assume that if you get a site inspection you have essentially been pre-approved, but that dosnt help too much with investors.
It sure doesn't help with investors and less so with small-scale folks that are putting everything in a project that may or may not be approved. So I tend to agree with mr. weeds' interpretation on the conditional approval followed by a further inspection to ensure that the the completed site fits the floor plans submitted with the application. I also think that depending on each application, some require more than one inspection before final approval. Just my thought though!
Kron3007, were you told in writing that a site inspection is not conditional approval or was this during a call to HC call centre?
 

mr.weeds

Active Member
Someone asked about price? My business plan is built around the fact that quality absolutely cannot be taken away from and that it has to made afforadble. $5g straight and simple. The only downside to this is that the minimum amount of patients to supply is higher to keep the company afloat but that's much more then here. If anybodies interested I'm in Edmonton area, pm me.

It's not a interpretation, this was the email I received on August 15
"Hello,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a licensed producer under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR).

The process for obtaining a license is as follows:

1. Screening: the application is verified to make sure all relevant information has been provided, and required documents attached. If information is missing, the application may be returned to you.
2. Reviewing: the application will be reviewed to validate the information and documents provided. Security clearance forms will be sent for processing. Physical security plans will be reviewed and assessed.
3. Ready to build: Once the application is deemed satisfactory, Health Canada will issue a notice informing the applicant that, if built to the specifications on the proposed plan, the security measures would meet the requirements of the MMPR. Applicants must then build the security measures if this is not already done.
4. Pre-licence inspection: Upon confirmation from the applicant that the security measures are in place, a pre-licence application will be scheduled. Upon completion of the inspection, the applicant must address any deficiencies identified.
5. Issuance: Once the inspection is deemed satisfactory, the licence will be issued.
A building is not required in order to submit an application; however, as part of the application process, the applicant is required to demonstrate how the site will meet the requirements of the regulations, including physical security for the cultivation and storage areas. As part of the application review process, the applicant’s proposed security measures will be assessed to ensure that they would meet the requirements of the MMPR. In order to obtain a licence, the site will have to undergo a pre-licence inspection, which will verify that the site meets the requirements of the MMPR. Therefore a completed building is required before a producer’s licence can be obtained.

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to send us your questions by email at MMPR-RMFM@hc-sc.gc.ca or call us at 1-866-337-7705.

Licences and Permits Division
Office of Controlled Substances
Health Canada "

Good luck to anybody that's not a massive corporation. Ill support anybody as long as they take down big pharma! Part of the passion why I want to get involved.
 
Good luck to anybody that's not a massive corporation. Ill support anybody as long as they take down big pharma! Part of the passion why I want to get involved.
Not to sound condescending, but that is an absolutely wrong attitude. If you were to become, say, 1 of 5 LPs in operation on April 1, 2014, then you are one of the big Pharma(s). LOL

I received the same email, and also confirmed with HC over the phone, that the most difficult thing in your licensing steps is points #1 and #2. Otherwise #3 is a 'Chicken or the egg' problem. (who builds $1million building without a license, and who gets a license without a $1 million building). This is where the utmost attention and finalization of your business plan needs to happen. Anyone can quickly draw out a floor plan for their cultivation/storage areas, complete with all the latest in high tech biometric security and cameras out the wazoo....hell, add a moat with sharks that have frickin lazer beams on their heads....But what you put in your LP application better damn well be what you install in your facility. Otherwise, you will fail the pre-licensing inspection (Step #4 above) and will incur more engineering and redesign costs.
Essentially, once you have made it past steps #1 and #2, this is when you go to your investors/backers/Aunt Betty, and get a massive line of credit going at the bank. Technically, getting to step #3 and on, is the "easy" part. I have put together a darling of a business plan for courting investors...with expenses calculated to within an estimated 15% accuracy. And hope to send my letters to my governing agencies, police, and fire before the end of November, and my MMPR app into HC the first week of December. That will give me approx 4 weeks to try to woo money from potential investors near annual year end, and hope to hear from HC in January that I go on to the elusive step #3.

Cheers
 

spiritmedicine

Well-Known Member
Hi all, have been reading here for a while (thank you all for your great input!), thought I'd say hello...

I've been studying up on the new regs, and still am wondering: Is this feasible for small-scale production?!

More importantly, is this what HC is looking for and approving?

Has anybody in this thread received news or updates from HC suggesting they will be approved? The LPs approved so far seem to be in the upper ends of of the investment spectrum, and seem to be fuelling everyone's fears that this is only for the corporate giants. I personally have a facility, needs a fair bit of upgrading, and an investor in the tens of thousands, not hundreds range. I have 2000 sq/ft, and would like to be producing 20+ kg/year. Just looking for a sign from somewhere that this is possible and in the realm of what HC is looking for. I already have a substantial gear investment from the MMAR, would really like it not to all go to waste. I admit, I've been waiting to see how it all plays out, but now feeling ready to get the application in. On the fence as to whether or not it will fly, both from the small scale producer side, as well as the entire MMPR program.

In my mind, I think a lot of people are going to boycott the big producers, as nobody is really onboard with the new regs, except the business types. You really have to address the concerns of prohibitive costs for patients, that is what this all boils down to. If nobody buys from the LPs, the whole thing collapses. Then the government has to answer to the LPs, who have invested many millions collectively. No matter how it plays out now, somebody gets screwed over. Right now it's the patients, if the MMPR is repealed, then the LPs and their huge operations are out big bucks. It's a real mess.

Black market prices will no doubt skyrocket, further fuelling gang activity and the shady side of cannabis. Then you have patients with no good options, illegal weed which is decent, but untested, or generic mass produced weed which is clean and legal, but expensive, and who knows about strain variety, and if it's anything like what they are looking for.

I just want to be able to grow medicinal herbs and make a decent legal living at it (marijuana is obviously amazing, but there are many other herbs that I grow now too, that are of benefit to people's health). My vision is medical marijuana for the people, from the ground up, decent prices and selection, for a few dozen patients. I don't need to get rich, just a good fulfilling job.

Anybody else out there in a similar position have their application in, and are you being approved?

Also am interested in networking with other small scale producers, strength in numbers, and I think it can help to survive amongst the new giants of the marijuana industry.

Cheers to you all for taking this on! SM
 

mr.weeds

Active Member
Not to sound condescending, but that is an absolutely wrong attitude. If you were to become, say, 1 of 5 LPs in operation on April 1, 2014, then you are one of the big Pharma(s). LOL
Three things... I don't own a multi-national multi-million dollar company.

And if I can get going I won't have a facility thats 50,000sqft

Last but most important I will only manufacture one "pharmaceutical drug"

Bad attitude to have? To try and help out patients that will suffer from the new MMPR? Weird I guess I'm alone
 

Kron3007

Well-Known Member
Someone asked about price? My business plan is built around the fact that quality absolutely cannot be taken away from and that it has to made afforadble. $5g straight and simple. The only downside to this is that the minimum amount of patients to supply is higher to keep the company afloat but that's much more then here. If anybodies interested I'm in Edmonton area, pm me.

It's not a interpretation, this was the email I received on August 15
"Hello,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a licensed producer under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR).

The process for obtaining a license is as follows:

1. Screening: the application is verified to make sure all relevant information has been provided, and required documents attached. If information is missing, the application may be returned to you.
2. Reviewing: the application will be reviewed to validate the information and documents provided. Security clearance forms will be sent for processing. Physical security plans will be reviewed and assessed.
3. Ready to build: Once the application is deemed satisfactory, Health Canada will issue a notice informing the applicant that, if built to the specifications on the proposed plan, the security measures would meet the requirements of the MMPR. Applicants must then build the security measures if this is not already done.
4. Pre-licence inspection: Upon confirmation from the applicant that the security measures are in place, a pre-licence application will be scheduled. Upon completion of the inspection, the applicant must address any deficiencies identified.
5. Issuance: Once the inspection is deemed satisfactory, the licence will be issued.
A building is not required in order to submit an application; however, as part of the application process, the applicant is required to demonstrate how the site will meet the requirements of the regulations, including physical security for the cultivation and storage areas. As part of the application review process, the applicant’s proposed security measures will be assessed to ensure that they would meet the requirements of the MMPR. In order to obtain a licence, the site will have to undergo a pre-licence inspection, which will verify that the site meets the requirements of the MMPR. Therefore a completed building is required before a producer’s licence can be obtained.

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to send us your questions by email at MMPR-RMFM@hc-sc.gc.ca or call us at 1-866-337-7705.

Licences and Permits Division
Office of Controlled Substances
Health Canada "

Good luck to anybody that's not a massive corporation. Ill support anybody as long as they take down big pharma! Part of the passion why I want to get involved.
Nowhere in there does it say that you have conditional approval, only that your plans are in line with the regulations. I asked this on the phone and was specifically told that a site inspection is not a conditional approval, nor does it mean you will be approved. I suspect this was just what they say to cover their behind and that in practice it is the same, but investors would be much more confident if it were more official from my experience. Hopefully someone will report back as they progress and it will be a little more clear.
 
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