THEY'RE HIGH ON POT PLAN Toronto Sun Thu, 06 Dec 2001 Emily Urquhart Pills Marijuana Based A Nova Scotia couple is hoping to get high on the success of selling a marijuana-based health product through their new company, Med Marijuana. It's not the illegal plant that they're hoping to market across the country, but marijuana oil extract in gel cap pills they say won't make you high, but might make you healthy. The company, whose logo is "high on health," is marketing the pill as a vitamin-like treatment that Michael Patriquen -- who runs the business with his wife, Melanie Stephen -- claims will help with cholesterol, arthritis pain, pre-menstrual syndrome and many other problems. However, it is not a cure for serious medical ailments. "Because it's not sold as a herbal remedy, it doesn't need a drug identification number. It has nutritional value and it's therapeutic. It's not classified as a drug," Patriquen said. The cannabis that is used in Medical Marijuana is cultivated by a federally licensed grower, using federally certified marijuana seed. The crop is inspected throughout the growing process to ensure that the THC level remains within legal limits. The oil is refined to a medical grade in a laboratory in Ontario, said Stephen who ran federally as a Marijuana Party candidate in the last election. DEALERS WITH A DIFFERENCE Although Medical Marijuana is only six weeks old, Stephen and Patriquen, both marijuana activists, have received 4,400 phone calls from prospective franchise buyers. "We now can take MasterCard, we are now incorporated, and are in the process of getting the company logo trademarked," Stephen said. The product will not be sold in commercial retail outlets, instead there will be 84 licensed dealers across Canada. "It's set up the same way that it's been done illegally all along, so you've got a dealer in your area, and they have sub-dealers," Stephen said. To become a certified dealer for your area, you must sell at least 50 cases of the product, they said. There are 24 bottles in a case, and 90 gel caps in each bottle.