We are an organization of volunteer patients and caregivers who have been lobbying our provincial government for Dignified Access to cannabis medicines and set parameters for a provincial medical cannabis program under Section 56 of the CDSA (Controlled Drugs & Substance Act). Our Dignified medical access proposal is designed to start a process that will develop a system that puts the needs of pat
ients first while meeting the needs of government; and will eliminate our patients, citizens, police, and fire department staff from being placed in dangerous situations due to the criminalization of this medicinal plant. It is the CMCP's position that removing cannabis from the CDSA would resolve the criminal activity issues as it would no longer be profitable for criminals. However, there is still an imperative to address patient need and right to life now and our work involves this immediate need. To create a National forum for adaption, inclusion and integration of all the provinces unique needs into this proposal, the Canadian Medical Cannabis Partners was created and then divided into provincial chapters. The Argument for the need of Provincial responsibility for the administration and management of medical cannabis programs in Canada:
The Provincial Dignified Access Proposal presented by the Canadian Medical Cannabis Partners suggests that in partnership with the federal government, the provinces take leadership roles in Canada by administering their own Medical Cannabis program that will put patient needs first, improve the provincial economies and satisfy fire and law enforcement needs. This can be successfully done by partnering with the regional districts of each province. As an example, the Regional Districts may suggest communities in each region to be the “pilot community” and provide temporary grants of regulatory powers over production and distribution of medical cannabis for the purpose of developing data to develop a “provincially designed” medical cannabis access program. Under this proposal framework it is suggested that members of Regional Agricultural Societies, be contracted to grow several strains of high grade, clean, medical cannabis, under appropriate security, under license by the appropriate office of their respective provincial government, and be subject to inspection by provincial health systems and inspected by their health inspectors".
‘It is often cited that there are approximately 400,000 Canadians currently using cannabis for therapeutic purposes. This estimate is based on one study conducted in Ontario that found that 1.9% of the population aged 18 years and over reported that they use marijuana for medical purposes. (Ogborne AC, Smart RG, Adlaf EM. Self-reported medical use of marijuana: a survey of the general population. Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 13, 2000;162(12):1685-1686.) This is most likely an underestimate. In British Columbia alone, it is estimated that about 7%, or 290,000 people, use cannabis for therapeutic purposes (Vancouver Sun. March 22nd, 2004. “Medical Marijuana Coming to B.C. Pharmacies”. Quote from Robin O’Brien, Director of Vancouver’s Pharmacotherapy Consulting Group.)’
It is our position that;
I. The federal government should remove cannabis from the Narcotic Control Act, as the Commission recommended in its Interim Report. LeDainCommissionof1972
II. The federal government should immediately initiate discussions with the provincial governments to have the sale and use of cannabis placed under controls similar to those governing the sale and use of alcohol, including legal prohibition of unauthorized distribution and analogous age restrictions. Furthermore, this government-distributed cannabis should be marketed at a quality and price that would make the 'black market' sale of the drug an impractical enterprise. III. The federal government should initiate a program to develop efficient practical methods for cannabis production and marketing in Canada. A standard form of natural marijuana would seem to be most feasible at this stage, but hashish, extracts and synthetic preparations should also be explored. IV. The federal government should initiate prospective multidisciplinary epidemiological research to monitor and evaluate changes in the extent and patterns of the use of cannabis and other drugs, and to explore possible consequences to health, and personal and social behavior, resulting from the controlled legal distribution of cannabis. V. All stages of the production and marketing of cannabis should be conducted by the federal and provincial governments.”
VI. Affordability should not create a barrier between patient and medicine and so; If the medicine will cost less for the patient to produce themselves, and are of sufficient ability to safely do so, then a personal garden should be utilized to further diminish any expense to tax payers. The Provincial governments must answer the need of this estimated 400,000 in Canada, and take responsibility for a medical cannabis program. This program must be designed to meet the specific needs of the patients while allowing for the regulatory framework required by provincial health ministries. Pilot Project Operations -Membership Criteria and Processing
With the provincial government licensing and overseeing the production and distribution of medical cannabis and related products, including already permitted home-based patients and producers, it would make sense to use existing facilities such as Service Ontario/O.H.I.P,(or equivalent of in each province ) to issue legal license to possess, use, or home-produce medical cannabis under this project. This would see a person suffering from a medical condition helped by cannabis get appropriate Provincial Ministry of Health forms signed by their medical professional then go immediately to designated provincial government office where the clerk would stamp the paperwork and issue a copy to the applicant then send the rest to Health Canada for filing. This person would be legal to possess, use, and produce at home, or purchase cannabis via a compassion society/club from the moment the paperwork is stamped by the clerk at designated provincial government office, significantly speeding up the process whereby patients get immediate dignified access to their medicine as they do with pharmaceutical prescription medications. The success of this regional model will streamline the application process, the production process, and the distribution process of medical cannabis and related products. The success of this regional model will also legitimize dispensaries through licensing with the provincial government, regulating the dispensaries already in existence without interrupting the flow of medicine to the clients.
