Barriers to access for Canadians who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes

Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposes and public health and safety: A systematic and critical review

“…Hitherto, 23 states in the U.S. have legalized CTP (NCSL, 2014), as well as other countries, including Israel, Canada and the Netherlands (Belle-Isle et al, 2014). Additional states and countries are currently considering CTP legalization, including New Zealand and Australia (NCSL, 2014;Shipton & Shipton, 2014).…”

Comparing Medical and Recreational Cannabis Users on Socio-Demographic, Substance and Medication Use, and Health and Disability Characteristics

“…Therapeutic benefits from cannabis have been suggested for numerous, usually chronic, health conditions, yet are most strongly evidenced primarily for neuropathic pain, spasticity, as well as anti-emetic and appetite-stimulant effects (e.g., for “wasting syndrome”) [5,6,7,8]. Medical cannabis control regimes exist in numerous US states and Canada (since 2001), among other countries [3,4,9]. Through iterative revisions to the medical cannabis program in Canada (e.g., the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations 2016), access has been considerably simplified, and under current regulations, medical cannabis use can be endorsed by a physician for virtually any health condition where benefits are expected; by 2015 >50,000 individuals were estimated to be enrolled in the program [9,10].…”

“…Recently, control regimes for cannabis as a psychoactive substance have diversified considerably in North American jurisdictions, from mainly prohibitive to more liberal control systems, including legal regimes, where cannabis is legally accessible for therapeutic purposes [3,4]. Therapeutic benefits from cannabis have been suggested for numerous, usually chronic, health conditions, yet are most strongly evidenced primarily for neuropathic pain, spasticity, as well as anti-emetic and appetite-stimulant effects (e.g., for “wasting syndrome”) [5,6,7,8].…”

Storage and disposal of medical cannabis among patients with cancer: Assessing the risk of diversion and unintentional digestion

“…5 In addition to these detrimental effects related to the use of cannabis for illicit purposes, there is increasing, albeit still limited, [6][7][8] clinical evidence to suggest that cannabis can offer a range of medical benefits such as reducing chemotherapy-induced symptoms and providing relief to patients receiving palliative care. 12,13 Israel has one of the world's longest running medical cannabis programs, dating back to the late 1990s. 12,13 Israel has one of the world's longest running medical cannabis programs, dating back to the late 1990s.…”

“…[9][10][11] The increasing evidence base for therapeutic effects, along with public pressure, has led to the implementation of medical cannabis policies in various jurisdictions, including Israel, Canada, and the Netherlands, as well as 23 states in the United States. 12,13 Israel has one of the world's longest running medical cannabis programs, dating back to the late 1990s. 14 With the exception of 14 oncologists who have the authority to directly issue medical cannabis licenses, the medical cannabis recommendations of specialist physicians are referred to the Medical Cannabis Unit of the Ministry of Health for license authorization.…”