oan Kapuscinski believes she received the wrong cannabis, but those in industry say that's nearly impossible
Andrea Ross · CBC News · Posted: Oct 25, 2018 7:00 AM MT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
A medical cannabis user in Edmonton ordered the same strain from Aurora and Tilray for months with no issues, but believes her final order from both producers was not the same cannabis she was sent before. (Gosia Wozniacka/The Associated Press)
An Edmonton medical cannabis consumer is concerned about quality control in the industry, after she experienced unexpected side effects from familiar strains of cannabis she received from two licensed producers.
But Health Canada, doctors and industry insiders say producers face some of the most strict regulations in the world, and say Canada's legal cannabis is safe.
Joan Kapuscinski has chronic pain due to fibromyalgia and insomnia. Before she started consuming cannabis a year and a half ago, she was sleeping just an hour at a time.
Kapuscinski, 60, was initially reluctant to try cannabis. But she had negative side effects from pharmaceutical drugs.
"I'm not looking to get high, I'm looking to feel better," she said.
She vaporized a pinch of it each night before bed, and said the effects were "like a miracle."
"It was relaxing and the pain went away. And I slept for like six hours straight," she said. "I woke up in the morning, no hangover, just feeling fine. It really worked."
Kapuscinski continued ordering the same strain for months with no issues, until she received her third order. She vaped a small amount, and her mind started racing.
"I couldn't even catch up to my thoughts, and I went to bed and I was just vibrating," she said. "Seriously, I couldn't even finish a thought. It was crazy."
Kapuscinski switched to another indica strain with a THC concentration of about 25 per cent from Tilray, another Canadian producer. She had no issues with it until her fourth order arrived.
The small green flowers didn't look, smell or taste like the same cannabis she had ordered before. They were dry, didn't have the small orange hairs she'd seen in previous batches, and it didn't give her the same instant relief. After eight days of using it, she was pacing, wringing her hands, and felt agitated and confused.
She was concerned she may have received a sativa strain — which tend to have more of an energizing effect — instead of the indica she had ordered.
She contacted Tilray and was told to send them a picture of the cannabis. She received a call back from the company confirming she received what she had ordered. Kapuscinski did not want to continue consuming the cannabis, but was told she could not return an opened package.
Kapuscinski is convinced the wrong cannabis order made it into the container.
"I'm afraid to order again, because what am I going to get this time? I don't know," she said. "So I have nothing, I've had nothing for quite a while now."
Kapuscinski was concerned she may have received a sativa strain — which tend to have more of an energizing effect — instead of the indica she had ordered. (Suppled/Joan Kapuscinski)
Slim chance of mislabeled cannabis, consultant says
The possibility that Kapuscinski received a mislabelled product is nearly impossible, said Mathew Columbro, president and co-founder of Vindica Cannabis Corporation, a Canadian company that works on licence application consultations for producers.
Andrea Ross · CBC News · Posted: Oct 25, 2018 7:00 AM MT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
An Edmonton medical cannabis consumer is concerned about quality control in the industry, after she experienced unexpected side effects from familiar strains of cannabis she received from two licensed producers.
But Health Canada, doctors and industry insiders say producers face some of the most strict regulations in the world, and say Canada's legal cannabis is safe.
Joan Kapuscinski has chronic pain due to fibromyalgia and insomnia. Before she started consuming cannabis a year and a half ago, she was sleeping just an hour at a time.
Kapuscinski, 60, was initially reluctant to try cannabis. But she had negative side effects from pharmaceutical drugs.
"I'm not looking to get high, I'm looking to feel better," she said.
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She vaporized a pinch of it each night before bed, and said the effects were "like a miracle."
"It was relaxing and the pain went away. And I slept for like six hours straight," she said. "I woke up in the morning, no hangover, just feeling fine. It really worked."
Kapuscinski continued ordering the same strain for months with no issues, until she received her third order. She vaped a small amount, and her mind started racing.
"I couldn't even catch up to my thoughts, and I went to bed and I was just vibrating," she said. "Seriously, I couldn't even finish a thought. It was crazy."
Kapuscinski switched to another indica strain with a THC concentration of about 25 per cent from Tilray, another Canadian producer. She had no issues with it until her fourth order arrived.
The small green flowers didn't look, smell or taste like the same cannabis she had ordered before. They were dry, didn't have the small orange hairs she'd seen in previous batches, and it didn't give her the same instant relief. After eight days of using it, she was pacing, wringing her hands, and felt agitated and confused.
She was concerned she may have received a sativa strain — which tend to have more of an energizing effect — instead of the indica she had ordered.
She contacted Tilray and was told to send them a picture of the cannabis. She received a call back from the company confirming she received what she had ordered. Kapuscinski did not want to continue consuming the cannabis, but was told she could not return an opened package.
Kapuscinski is convinced the wrong cannabis order made it into the container.
"I'm afraid to order again, because what am I going to get this time? I don't know," she said. "So I have nothing, I've had nothing for quite a while now."
Slim chance of mislabeled cannabis, consultant says
The possibility that Kapuscinski received a mislabelled product is nearly impossible, said Mathew Columbro, president and co-founder of Vindica Cannabis Corporation, a Canadian company that works on licence application consultations for producers.
