Medicinal Use Marijuana in Canada; The Health Canada Marijuana Access Program Helps Patients Obtain The Illegal Drug for Their Personal Use as Prescribed by Their Doctor or Health Care Specialist
We joke about it that Canada allows ‘medicinal use’ of marijuana. We see the ‘head shops’ here openly doing business and anyone familiar with these know what I am talking about. It is true; Canada does allow marijuana use for some citizens under specific medically-required need and conditions, and even helps them obtain it.
I have opinions against the use of ‘recreational’ use marijuana and certainly do not want the school bus driver , transit driver, or surgeon (to name just a few) person using it on or off the job even if it is medically-assigned. Its deleterious effects upon the brain are well documented.
But I am starting to discover that users of the illicit weed are not just druggies and hippies but people of legitimate medical need. For people suffering very painful injury, degenerative and even traumatic disorder conditions whom have sought relief elsewhere in the approved pharmacopoeia of medical treatment this might be their best, last resort. The 20th century saw the world more or less criminalize its use but in recent years, some nations have been relaxing these laws, almost embracing the benefits of marijuana.
Health Canada has a marijuana access program to help these people grow their own, or provide guidance to supply them with the quality strain that suits them best. I was rather shocked to learn of this recently, but it is true!
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Who Qualifies for the Marijuana Access Program?
Authorization needs to be reviewed and renewed annually as medicinal marijuana use is not approved by the FDA. Your medical practitioner will examine your case and in the advent of a new treatment or more appropriate medicine become available your right to the program and access to the drug may change.
Qualified recipients receive a MMAR case number (Marijuana Medical Access Regulations) from Health Canada and this number will appear on the card that they will give you. Health Canada keeps your information private, as well as information regarding your medical condition(s.) Health Canada does however retain the right to share this information with local police authorities as need be. This is for the private individual’s protection under the law; Health Canada would provide this information in the case of emergency where you may require the police to come to your home for any other reason. Should the local police be uniformed of your MMAR permission and discover that you have marijuana on the premises, they would treat it as criminal possession. Health Canada provides the sanctioning information in advance to alert authorities and dissuade prosecutorial action on their part. If you are a legal holder of an MMAR account you will not be treated as a criminal.
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K.Reshma | Dec 5, 2009 | Reply
Great share
abhishek40914 | Dec 5, 2009 | Reply
thanks for sharing
J J Neuman | Dec 6, 2009 | Reply
The “Beware young and old…” warning sign is a real hoot!
Mila Marcos | Dec 7, 2009 | Reply
LMAO Lurv the last pic
Doctors here are prescribing cannabis-based drugs to cancer, multiple sclerosis and AIDS patients. Medicinal cannabis will benefit HIV-related wasting and cancer-related wasting. It’s supposed to relieve nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemo. Enjoyed this article
Val Mills | Dec 8, 2009 | Reply
This brought back memories. When I was diagnosed with glaucoma, my son, then about 19, informed me that marijuana would help cure it. Now, how many kids would tell their mother to smoke marijuana. I didn’t take his advice
gaby7 | Dec 15, 2009 | Reply
In my opinion, marijuana should simply be legalized, it would save the world more money than the huge amounts being squandered away in policing drug trafficking. Imagine the pains those who seek the item for medicinal purposes go through? This article should open the eye of the powers that be. Thanks alot my freind!