Canada’s Latest Medical Cannabis Reform is Anything but Progressive

Back in 2001, medical marijuana became legal in Canada, making it the first country to have a structured system in place to help its citizens in need. The rules were pretty straight forward and the process for applying was not considered anything too restrictive or complicated.  All a person had to do was to give two photos of themself along with a doctor’s prescription to get their license—they kept it that simple because the government essentially wanted to stay at arm’s length from involvement in the whole ordeal. But now, more than a decade after those first great strides, new guidelines have been put into place and things have taken a dramatic downward turn.

The first major change made was in giving the responsibility of writing the new rules to The College of Family Physicians of Canada, so now, instead of the patient being responsible for deciding whether they need it and how much they need, people who don’t really believe in the power of cannabis are left to make assessments on when to use it, how to use it, and how much to use. As the document put out by the college of physicians clearly states, “We are asked to authorize our patients’ access to a product with little evidence to support its use, and in the absence of regulatory oversight and approval.”

Some of the new policies regarding the ability to prescribe cannabis to a patient include; no one under the age of 25, it can’t be given to anyone with a family history of psychosis or substance abuse problems, and that it must be a method of last resort— meaning that they will only prescribe it once all other forms of treatment have failed to deal with a health condition properly. They are also set against the idea of smoking the medicine, as in their opinion it carriers clear health risks, so they are looking to other venues for taking the drug, such as in an oil or cooking the active ingredients into some kind of food. As one doctor stated on the matter, “We’re operating or being asked to operate in an information or evidence vacuum.” 

When all is said and done, the over 40,000 Canadians who are currently medicinal cannabis users might find themselves having to drastically change their medicine of choice, or how they have grown accustomed to use it. Figuring that Canada set the bar many years ago as the first to allow medical cannabis, other countries might adapt Canada’s new policy based on their years of experience with it.