The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports..
Doctors in Canada want to see the medical cannabis system phased out once legalization happens later this year, says a Canadian Medical Association vice-president.
“The medical profession, as a whole, has really struggled with the whole concept of medical cannabis. There’s definitely some physicians who feel comfortable in that area but most don’t,” Dr. Jeff Blackmer, vice-president of medical professionalism for the Canadian Medical Association, told CBC Calgary News at 6.
“And [that is] primarily because of the lack of evidence, the lack of scientific studies showing it actually works, the lack of knowledge around dosing and interactions with other medications — all these types of things. Our recommendation was that once it is legalized, that there really is no reason for a separate medical system.”
…/…
“There will be some physicians who feel that this has a real place in terms of treatment options and will continue to have those conversations with patients. But we’re hoping for the vast majority of physicians who are uncomfortable, it will mean their patients can just seek it out on their own, they won’t have to find another doctor or to go to a cannabis clinic. They can go down to the dispensary and see if it works for themselves.”
Not a typical prescription
And it’s “more accurate to say authorized,” rather than prescribed, says Blackmer.
“It’s not a typical prescription because it’s not something where you’d give it to a patient on a piece of paper and they’d take it to a pharmacy of their choice — that’s really a prescription,” he said.
“An authorization is something the doctor authorizes and faxes it or emails it to a specific distributor of cannabis and then the patient goes through that distributor, so it’s definitely a different process.”
Read the full report at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canadian-medical-association-cannabis-legalization-1.4772000
