Cannabis firms in conflict of interest for owning both pot producers and marijuana clinics, critics charge

Controversy has long swirled around the financial links between pharmaceutical companies and doctors; studies suggest such connections can adversely affect medical decision making
National Post (Canada)
Thursday, December 27, 2018

canada dollar cannabisWhen doctors at the Solace Health Network of cannabis clinics prescribe their patients medical marijuana, one government-licensed producer of the drug might come quickly to mind. The clinics’ parent company, after all, is Terrascend, which also owns a cannabis grower and seller. A direct ownership link between doctor-staffed clinics and the manufacturer of their main treatment tool would be unheard of if it involved a pharmaceutical firm. But in the fast-evolving cannabis industry, Terrascend’s arrangement is far from unique — and quite legal. Close to a dozen companies across the country have combined pot-producing operations and marijuana-treatment clinics under the same corporate umbrella, in what seems to be a growing trend.