FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CAMCD) is encouraged to see that a number of its recommendations have been adopted by Health Canada in their proposed Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), but there are still gaps to be filled.

“Health Canada has incorporated many of our recommendations, including on-site dispensing, the inclusion of Nurse Practitioners, and an expanded role for provinces in the regulation of this healthcare service,” said Rade Kovacevic, CAMCD President. “We presented a successful community-based dispensary program whose integrity must be maintained for the good of the over 30,000 patients being served across Canada.”

Research suggests that over 50% of medical marijuana program participants obtain their medicine through dispensaries, which for over 15 years have filled the void between a patient’s right to access and the lack of an adequate supply. “Dispensaries provide alternative delivery methods such as marijuana muffins and extracts, as well as important education on safe and effective use,” said Kovacevic.

“CAMCD remains concerned that patients will continue facing barriers to access,” he continued. “Affordability remains unaddressed, medical associations remain reluctant to endorse the government program, and there are no provisions for non-smoking alternatives such as baked goods and tinctures.”

“Dispensaries have worked diligently for over a decade to transition this marketplace into a legal framework,” continued Kovacevic. “CAMCD remains committed to supporting dispensaries as we move forward into a new chapter of this program.”

CAMCD is a not-for-profit corporation established to promote a regulated, community-based approach to medical cannabis access, and to support dispensaries in the provision of high quality patient care across Canada.

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Media Contact:
English: Rade Kovacevic, President – 519-780-7830
Français: Adam Greenblatt, Director – 514-830-1331

1) Medical Cannabis Reforms at Critical Juncture

June 19, 2012 – Ottawa, ON

A consultation process was launched by Health Canada in June of 2011 to inform amendments to the Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP). The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CAMCD) participated in the consultations along with other stakeholders, including patients, municipalities, physicians, law enforcement agencies and Canadians.

A summary of the key themes emerging from these consultations was recently released by Health Canada. “We were pleased to see that there was widespread support for creating a regulated industry for the production and distribution of medical cannabis” explained Rade Kovacevic, President of CAMCD. “Health Canada’s summary report also demonstrated stakeholder support for other amendments that we hope will improve patient access to this program.”

“CAMCD is particularly pleased the summary included the view that medical cannabis dispensaries could play an important role in providing education and outreach to individuals who use cannabis for medical purposes” stated Mr. Kovacevic. Over the past 15 years, medical cannabis dispensaries have served over 30,000 patients upon recommendation of their healthcare practitioner. They have vast practical experience with patient care, education, access and administration, and medical cannabis varieties and products.

The summary stated that some stakeholders thought there might be some discomfort with store-front entities. According to Mr. Kovacevic, “this concern was vague in nature and we believe is largely due to stigma and lack of understanding of the role dispensaries play and the benefits they provide to patients and the community. To address this CAMCD will continue to provide their expertise and work collaboratively with Health Canada to help create a reformed MMAP that meets the needs of all stakeholders.”

In collaboration with the University of British Columbia and Canadians for Safe Access, CAMCD will be holding consultation meetings June 28-29 in Vancouver to hear from policy-makers, health care providers, patients and dispensaries in British Columbia. These consultations will provide an opportunity for CAMCD to listen to concerns and answer questions about dispensaries, as well as to receive input into a standards and certification program for medical cannabis dispensaries being developed by CAMCD.

The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries is a not-for-profit corporation established to promote a regulated community- based approach to medical cannabis access, and to support medical
cannabis dispensaries in the provision of high quality patient care across Canada.

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For a copy of the Report on the 2011 Consultations Results:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/consultation/marihuana/_2011/program/consult_reform-eng.php#a4

2) Historic Consultations on CAMCD Standards & Certification Program for Medical Cannabis Dispensaries

In a historic step for medical cannabis in Canada, CAMCD conducted two days of consultations June 28-29 at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver. The consultations brought together key stakeholders from British Columbia to gather information on CAMCD’s Standards & Certification Program for dispensaries.

The first day of consultations were held with an array of public policy and health care stakeholders. Participants included representatives from the Provincial Ministry of Health, municipal councilors and planners, Vancouver Coastal Health, medical health officers, health researchers, physicians and non-governmental organizations. The second day of consultations brought together dispensaries & patients. Almost all of the medical cannabis dispensaries in B.C. participated (comprising over a third of all dispensaries in Canada) along with patient representatives from each organization.

Each day of consultations reviewed the main areas of dispensary operations examining and offering feedback on standards and best practices for the operation of dispensaries, with a focus on dispensary credibility and quality of care provided. Both consultations were immensely constructive. The Standards Program was extremely well-received by all stakeholders and each day garnered great input and engagement from their respective groups. The next step will be incorporating input into the CAMCD Standards & Certification Program, which remains on track for launch in fall of this year.

The consultations were held as part of the Medical Cannabis: Standards, Engagement, Evaluation and Dissemination (SEED) project and funded by the Peter Wall Solutions Initiative, which focuses on practical and innovative solutions to societal problems. The Peter Wall Solutions Initiative (PWSI) enables UBC faculty to team with community organizations in order to address issues of societal importance through innovative, interdisciplinary and academically rigorous research projects. The PWSI is supported by the Peter Wall Endowment to UBC.

June 26 2012 Press Release: Historic Consultations on the Regulation of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries to be held in Vancouver

3) Recent Media Surrounding the Proposed Reforms to the MMAP

Changes to medical pot program could double costs, users say

Ottawa drags out medical pot reform

Medicinal pot users protest proposed changes to marijuana access program

Medical cannabis growers not inspected by Health Canada

Jeet-Kei Leung of the BCCCS and CAMCD explaining the benefits of dispensaries

Compassion Club Challenging Constitution

The consultations are part of the Medical Cannabis: Standards, Engagement, Evaluation and
Dissemination (SEED) project. The project is a collaboration of the Canadian Association of Medical
Cannabis Dispensaries, Canadians for Safe Access, and researchers from University of British
Columbia and is funded by the Peter Wall Solutions Initiative(1), which focuses on practical and
innovative solutions to societal problems.

Medical cannabis dispensaries have existed in Canada for over a decade, providing community-based
access to this medicine to thousands of critically and chronically ill individuals. However, these health
services providers have not been incorporated into the Health Canada national regulatory framework
for medical cannabis and they remain unregulated.

“Certification of dispensaries based on collaboratively developed standards will help ensure product
safety, improve patient education, and support strategies that promote the safe and effective use of
medical cannabis” said Rielle Capler, who represents CAMCD as a co-investigator on the project .
“The self-regulation of dispensaries is a necessary step to integrate this patient-centered health delivery
model into the national regulatory framework.”

“Surveys suggest that dispensaries are an integral part of safe access to medical cannabis for critically
and chronically ill Canadians” said Philippe Lucas, who represents Canadians for Safe Access (CSA)
as a co-investigator on this project. “A well-developed certification program will increase transparency
and accountability to this rapidly growing patient group and support safe access to medical cannabis in
Canada”.

“The grant from the Peter Wall Solutions Initiative will increase the capacity of CAMCD to develop a
self-regulatory program for dispensaries”, states the principal investigator on the study, Zach Walsh, a
researcher at the Okanagan campus of UBC, and co-director of the Centre for the Advancement of
Psychological Science and Law “The ultimate goal is to improve the health and well-being of people
living in Canada by enhancing safe access to medical cannabis.”

Contact
Rielle Capler, CAMCD: rielle@telus.net, 604-818-4082

(1) – The Peter Wall Solutions Initiative (PWSI) enables UBC faculty to team with community organizations in order to address issues of societal importance through innovative, interdisciplinary and academically rigorous research projects. The PWSI is supported by the Peter Wall Endowment to UBC. http://research.ubc.ca/vpri/ubc-peter-wall-solutions-initiative.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Medical Cannabis Reforms at Critical Juncture in Canadian History

A consultation process was launched by Health Canada in June of 2011 to inform amendments to the Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP). The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CAMCD) participated in the consultations along with other stakeholders, including patients, municipalities, physicians, law enforcement agencies and Canadians.

A summary of the key themes emerging from these consultations was recently released by Health Canada. “We were pleased to see that there was widespread support for creating a regulated industry for the production and distribution of medical cannabis” explained Rade Kovacevic, President of CAMCD. “Health Canada’s summary report also demonstrated stakeholder support for other amendments that we hope will improve patient access to this program.”

“CAMCD is particularly pleased the summary included the view that medical cannabis dispensaries could play an important role in providing education and outreach to individuals who use cannabis for medical purposes” stated Mr. Kovacevic. Over the past 15 years, medical cannabis dispensaries have served over 30,000 patients upon recommendation of their healthcare practitioner. They have vast practical experience with patient care, education, access and administration, and medical cannabis varieties and products.

The summary stated that some stakeholders thought there might be some discomfort with store-front entities. According to Mr. Kovacevic, “this concern was vague in nature and we believe is largely due to stigma and lack of understanding of the role dispensaries play and the benefits they provide to patients and the community. To address this CAMCD will continue to provide their expertise and work collaboratively with Health Canada to help create a reformed MMAP that meets the needs of all stakeholders.”

In collaboration with the University of British Columbia and Canadians for Safe Access, CAMCD will be holding consultation meetings June 28-29 in Vancouver to hear from policy-makers, health care providers, patients and dispensaries in British Columbia. These consultations will provide an opportunity for CAMCD to listen to concerns and answer questions about dispensaries, as well as to receive input into a standards and certification program for medical cannabis dispensaries being developed by CAMCD.

The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries is a not-for-profit corporation established to promote a regulated community- based approach to medical cannabis access, and to support medical
cannabis dispensaries in the provision of high quality patient care across Canada.

-30-

Media Contact:
Rade Kovacevic, 519-780-7830

For a copy of the Report on the 2011 Consultations Results:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/consultation/marihuana/_2011/program/consult_reform-eng.php#a4

1) National Pain Strategy Endorsement

Do you believe all Canadian children deserve access to the best pain care?
If you require surgery, do you want your post-operative pain treated properly?
If you suffer a painful injury requiring treatment in an emergency department, do you want to be sure that your pain will be properly assessed and treated?
Do you want your doctor or healthcare professional to be at least as well-educated in treating pain as a veterinarian is?

If you answered YES to any of these questions endorse the National Pain Strategy.

CAMCD is encouraging patients across the country to endorse the National Pain Strategy. The Canadian Pain Society (CPS) and the Canadian Pain Coalition (CPC), along with their partner organizations will be hosting the 2012 Canadian Pain Summit later this month in Ottawa and will be presenting the National Pain Strategy for final consideration. This is a great opportunity for a diverse range of organizations to work together and put chronic pain treatments on the national agenda.

To endorse the strategy, click here:

The National Pain Strategy recently was covered in the Globe and Mail. To read the article, click here:

2) BC Supreme Court Ruling Finds MMAR Unconstitutional

Friday April 14 2012

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CAMCD) applauds today’s BC Supreme Court decision finding Health Canada’s Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP) to be unconstitutional. “This decision is great news for patients and their providers,” said Adam Greenblatt, a CAMCD Director. “Cannabis foods and resins are the cornerstone of many patients’ medical treatment.”

The defendant, Owen Smith, the head baker for Victoria’s Cannabis Buyer’s Club of Canada, was charged with possession of THC for the purposes of trafficking and possession of cannabis. In December 2009 Mr. Smith was arrested in a downtown apartment while baking cookies infused with medical cannabis which are used as treatment for patients suffering from chronic and critical conditions who cannot or choose not to inhale or otherwise use dried cannabis.

BC Supreme Court Justice Johnston found that the “artificial restriction” on “dried” marijuana in the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations breaches Section 7 of the Charter of Rights. “The remedy for this breach is to remove the word ‘dried’ where it appears in the medical marijuana access regulations,” said Johnston.

Medical cannabis dispensaries (aka ‘compassion clubs’) currently serve over 30,000 patients across Canada. Since 1996, dispensaries have been providing patients with safe access to a wide variety of medical cannabis products including baked goods, tinctures and resins.

Last June, Health Canada announced an overhaul to the MMAP in response to concerns raised by a number of stakeholders. Health Canada has stated it intends to remove itself as a distributor and adopt a more traditional regulatory capacity in the marketplace. CAMCD has been involved in constructive consultations with Health Canada officials around these proposed reforms.

CAMCD is a not-for-profit corporation established to promote a regulated community-based approach to medical cannabis access, and to support medical cannabis dispensaries in the provision of high quality patient care across Canada.

3) A Taste for Life Fundraiser

A Taste for Life is a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS service organizations across the country, held on April 25th.

Help fight HIV/AIDS just by dining out!

Make a dinner reservation;
Have a great evening out;
The restaurant will donate 25% of your bill to support the HIV/AIDS organization in your community!

Helping a great cause has never been so easy – or tasted so good!

It’s one night only – get a group together and book early!

For more information and to find participating restaurants, please visit: http://www.atasteforlife.org/

4) HEC Montréal Guest Lecture

CAMCD Director Adam Greenblatt gave a guest lecture to an MBA class at one of Québec’s leading business schools, HEC Montréal. Mr. Greenblatt spoke at length about the mechanics of the emerging medical cannabis sector, as well as the obstacles he has faced as an activist and entrepreneur. It was a unique opportunity and a promising sign of how medical cannabis is being mainstreamed and integrated into the Canadian economy.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (CAMCD) applauds today’s BC Supreme Court decision finding Health Canada’s Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP) to be unconstitutional. “This decision is great news for patients and their providers,” said Adam Greenblatt, a CAMCD Director. “Cannabis foods and resins are the cornerstone of many patients’ medical treatment.”

The defendant, Owen Smith, the head baker for Victoria’s Cannabis Buyer’s Club of Canada, was charged with possession of THC for the purposes of trafficking and possession of cannabis. In December 2009 Mr. Smith was arrested in a downtown apartment while baking cookies infused with medical cannabis which are used as treatment for patients suffering from chronic and critical conditions who cannot or choose not to inhale or otherwise use dried cannabis.

BC Supreme Court Justice Johnston found that the “artificial restriction” on “dried” marijuana in the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations breaches Section 7 of the Charter of Rights. “The remedy for this breach is to remove the word ‘dried’ where it appears in the medical marijuana access regulations,” said Johnston.

Medical cannabis dispensaries (aka ‘compassion clubs’) currently serve over 30,000 patients across Canada. Since 1996, dispensaries have been providing patients with safe access to a wide variety of medical cannabis products including baked goods, tinctures and resins.

Last June, Health Canada announced an overhaul to the MMAP in response to concerns raised by a number of stakeholders. Health Canada has stated it intends to remove itself as a distributor and adopt a more traditional regulatory capacity in the marketplace. CAMCD has been involved in constructive consultations with Health Canada officials around these proposed reforms.

CAMCD is a not-for-profit corporation established to promote a regulated community-based approach to medical cannabis access, and to support medical cannabis dispensaries in the provision of high quality patient care across Canada.

-30-

Media:

Adam Greenblatt
514-830-1331

1) Health Canada Meets with Organizations Interested in Becoming LCPs

In February, Health Canada hosted meetings in Victoria and Ottawa for organizations and individuals who had previously expressed interest in applying for Licensed Commercial Producer (LCP) status. The meetings focused on specific technical details of the manufacturing and packaging of medical cannabis, with the aim to inform Health Canada representatives and aid them in developing reforms to the Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP). Both meetings were well attended by a diverse range of organizations. CAMCD applauds Health Canada for inviting the expertise that already exists within the medical cannabis sector and considering this input when drafting reforms to the MMAP.

CAMCD’s directors have been able to effectively provide input through these meetings regarding regulations around LCPs that would allow dispensaries to be included.

There is an opportunity for patients under the proposed reformed MMAP to form not-for-profits or co-operatives and apply for LCP status. The proposal does not preclude patients from forming collectives and producing their medicine in a common setting. Patients concerned about the removal of the Personal Production Licenses (PPLs) can consider this option as a stop gap measure to address affordability and other access issues.

2) Medical Cannabis: Standards, Engagement, Evaluation and Dissemination (SEED)” project

The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, Canadians for Safe Access, and researchers from University of British Columbia are extremely pleased to announce the launch of the “Medical Cannabis: Standards, Engagement, Evaluation and Dissemination (SEED)” project, funded by a 3 year grant from the Peter Wall Solutions Initiative.[1] The Peter Wall Solutions Initiative focuses on practical and innovative solutions to societal problems.

“Certification of dispensaries based on collaboratively developed standards will help ensure product safety, improve patient education and support strategies that promote the safe and effective use of medical cannabis” said Rielle Capler (Co-PI), currently a doctoral student at UBC and co-founder of CAMCD. “The self-regulation of dispensaries is a necessary step to integrate this patient-centered health delivery model into the national regulatory framework.”

“Surveys suggest that dispensaries are an integral part of safe access to medical cannabis for critically and chronically ill Canadians” said Philippe Lucas, (Co-PI), a research affiliate with the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C, and co-director of Canadians for Safe Access, a national medical cannabis patient advocacy organization, “a well-developed certification program will increase transparency and accountability to this rapidly growing patient group”.

“The grant from the Peter Wall Solutions Initiative will increase the capacity of CAMCD to develop a self-regulatory program for dispensaries”, states Zach Walsh, the principal investigator (PI) on the study, a researcher at the Okanagan campus of UBC, and co-director of the Centre for the Advancement of Psychological Science and Law. “The ultimate goal is to improve the health and well-being of people living in Canada by enhancing safe access to medical cannabis.”

The project team will be working with community partners to organize a series of consultations to develop these standards and to assess their impact on the day-to-day operations of dispensaries, the patient population they serve, and the community-at-large.

—

[1] The Peter Wall Solutions Initiative (PWSI) enables UBC faculty to team with community organizations in order to address issues of societal importance through innovative, interdisciplinary and academically rigorous research projects. The PWSI is supported by the Peter Wall Endowment to UBC. http://research.ubc.ca/vpri/ubc-peter-wall-solutions-initiative.

1) CAMPS Survey

The CAMPS Survey is still ongoing and receiving a great amount of response. We encourage patients to continue to complete the survey, as the results will be very useful in advocating for high standards of patient care.

If you use cannabis for medical purposes and are a resident of Canada, please consider completing the survey at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CannabisSurvey.

2) Happy Holidays!

CAMCD would like to wish everyone a happy holidays and a great new year! We look forward to getting back to work and moving ahead full steam in the new year!

CANNABIS CULTURE – Do you use cannabis for medical purposes? A coalition of health groups is asking for the help of Canadian medical marijuana users in a new study about barriers to accessing the drug.

The study was created by researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and the Canadian AIDS Society and has the backing of a varied group of partners including the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, Canadians for Safe Access, the Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, and the Canadian Treatment Action Council.

Researchers will collect data from a comprehensive online survey filled out by anyone who lives in Canada and uses cannabis for medical purposes. The information will be used in a study that will focus on difficulties in accessing cannabis.

TAKE PART in THE SURVEY

The national survey was created by cannabis activist and researcher Rob Callaway with a grant from UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention, based on another study created by Lynne Belle-Isle of the Canadian AIDS society.

“The academic literature is almost silent on the topic,” Callaway told Cannabis Culture. “The cannabis community is well aware of the Hell people go through trying to get access to cannabis, the sick are well aware, some of the court cases have make some lawyers and judges well aware, but by and large, people in academia have no clue.”

Callaway said information collected in the study is intended to add to the base of knowledge in the academic literature and will be helpful in in future studies, court cases and political initiatives on the subject.
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“When it’s completed, it will be the most comprehensive study of its kind ever conducted in Canada … to document in the literature the barriers people encounter while trying to access cannabis,” Callaway said.

The study takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete and includes a wide range of questions about topics including where patients acquire their medicine and interactions they’ve had with medical professionals in relation to medical marijuana. The questions were developed, in part, with a community board of activists, researchers, medical marijuana growers and patients from across the country.

Anybody who is Canadian and “uses cannabis for what they themselves would consider some form of medical use” is invited to participate in the survey. “They don’t have to have their Health Canada card or a recommendation by a physician,” Callaway said.

Callaway said the information will be analysed and the findings presented publicly and published in a journal.

“Because it’s a national study, we’re hoping to acquire a lot of data that hasn’t been found before,” he said.

In the recent court case of R. v. Mernagh, an Ontario judge ruled Canada’s Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) “constitutionally invalid” due to patients having trouble accessing the drug. The judge said the “overwhelming refusal” by doctors “to participate in the medicinal marijuana program completely undermines the effectiveness of the program.”

The government of Canada has proposed a number of changes to the MMAR that have many medical cannabis users worried, including ending personal cultivation and building a system of private for-profit medpot dealers.

Read more: http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2011/12/01/Study-Investigates-Barriers-Medical-Marijuana-Access-Canada