I know they aren't available in the US due to meffies, but what about our northern neighbor?

k, i'll bite. whats a meffie?

same ?

crystal methamphetamine

well the methies use matches to make it now

Try eBay Link to Iodine Crystals

What are they used for?

TIA,

The restictions are due to their use in one method of meth production.  They are restricted, not outlawed.  Sellers are supposed to maintain a log book of sales.
They can also be used to make a very unstable explosive or a homemade antiseptic.
The use likely refered to is in water treatment.  Iodine is in many ways superior to chlorine as long as one doesn't have thyroid problems or allergies to iodine.  Crystals will store forever, and can allways be used to make a known strength solution.  One way is to shake the crystals with water to produce a saturated solution.  if you know the temp, you know the strength of the solution.  There was/is a commerical product called polarpure that did this.  Polarpure was expected to be pulled from the market due to the DEA regs (every camping store would have to maintain a logbook, even though the iodine in PP was in small quanities and probally cost 50 x what bulk crystals do.)  My preference is to make a solution of iodine in alcohol.  Much more concentrated/no temperature dependance/won't freeze.  A local pharmacy made it up for me prior to the current restrictions since they had both the alcohol (I'm sure vodka or ever clear would work) and the bottles with out a plastic seal.  Then then sold me the remaining crystals.  The pharmicist said it was the first time he had compounded something in years.

BTW, polar pure bottles are glass (iodine is a halogen), and if you breaks in your BOB, it will turn everthing a hypertatical iodine brown.  Even dayglow tree flagging, orange ACR strobes, or yellow pellican lights.  It will then put a matching stain on the backpack and back of the truck seat.

Not correct.  The iodine is part of the process and so are the match BOOKS.  Meth cooks make the iodine crystals.

FYI:  Iodine crystals are VERY corrosive to metal.

Wait so what did you use it for?

To dye all my stuff brown :-).  To make purple mashed potatoes?  Actually I use a small amount of iodine to treat the water after it passes through my filter to eliminate viruses.  Also as a backup to the filter (at 8x the dose.)  

A friend, a rural deputy SO/farmer who works with the DEA on anhydrous diversion thinks this may go by the wayside due to a "single pot" version of meth production, that presumabally does not use iodine.