Also, the CMA may be unaware of the fact that seniors are turning to medical cannabis in greater numbers and frequency as this recent globe and mail article depicts.
A legal recreational market may legitimize the medical industry to those patients who were previously weary of having that discussion with their medical team and may now feel more open to do so. Once recreational cannabis is legal, medical professionals may also be more open to pursuing this treatment option.
The CMA’s policy paper (Click Here) states, in part:
How will there be proper study of medical cannabis as the CMA recommends above if the medical cannabis industry is phased out as per the CMA’s recommendation? Confused yet? And if the CMA is recommending that the medical stream be phased out is that not perhaps contrary to #2 because in the absence of a medical industry are patients to seek medical counselling, information, advice, and recommendations (including strains and dosing) from retail locations or worse from the Black Market?
The CMA’s official statement as found on their website:
1. The advancement of scientific knowledge about medical marijuana must be encouraged. Given that there are currently over 4,000 patients receiving medical marijuana from Health Canada, CMA encourages the Government to properly study the safety, efficacy, most appropriate amount to be used, and the most effective delivery mechanism for treatment of specific conditions. The same safety and evidence standards should apply to medical marijuana as to pharmaceutical products under the FDA.
2. With the increasing number of patients being authorized to possess medical marijuana, it is imperative that physicians know and understand the regulations and the use of medical marijuana …
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