Canada: A doctor encourages his colleagues to prescribe medical cannabis

Canada is gearing up for the legalization of recreational cannabis, which will be effective by July 1, 2018. And even though medical cannabis has been legal here since 2001, not all doctors are prescribing it yet.

In Windsor, Ontario, a Canadian doctor, Dr Christopher Blue, is encouraging his colleagues to prescribe therapeutic cannabis, reports the local newspaper CBC News, In particular, as an alternative to traditional opiates in the treatment of pain.

This doctor is overwhelmed by patients looking for alternatives to opioids, which are often addictive.

Dr. Blue is one of the few doctors in the region who relies on the benefits of his work. medicinal cannabis, He explains that in Canada, few doctors prescribe cannabis to their patients.

Therapeutic cannabis is legal and controlled, but not reimbursed. This doctor is therefore suggesting to the government that medical cannabis be covered by health insurance plans.

Therapeutic cannabis as an analgesic

More and more Canadian patients are turning to cannabis for pain management for several reasons: opioids are powerful analgesics but addictive, with many cases of overdose. The local newspaper estimates that in 2015, 740 deaths were linked to opioids in the state of Ontario.

Dr. Christopher Blue acknowledged that the lack of coverage for therapeutic cannabis was a considerable hindrance to patients (particularly cancer patients) who would like to benefit from it. They also have to wait longer for a consultation due to high demand for cannabis prescriptions.

David Jensen, spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Care, explains that cannabis is not covered because the organization Health Canada has not yet included therapeutic cannabis in the Canada Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, for this purpose.

Mehdi Bautier