Marijuana as a medicine?
Here's what you should know about marijuana for medical purposes.
In 2001, Health Canada designed a new process to help people with serious illnesses get marijuana for medical purposes. 
The Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) provide a framework to allow individuals with serious medical conditions to possess or cultivate marijuana for medical purposes.
According to the MMAR, people with serious illnesses can apply for an "authorization to possess marijuana." This authorization allows them to have marijuana for personal medical use. Under the MMAR, the support of a doctor is necessary as part of the application process. The MMAR deal only with the medical use of marijuana. Without authorization under the MMAR, persons using marijuana for medical purposes in Canada are breaking the law.
According to the regulations, the different categories for an authorization consider the person's illness and symptoms. A successful application under the MMAR also depends on whether all conventional therapies have been tried or considered, and found to be ineffective. You can see that marijuana for medical purposes is really considered a final option.
One reason that the regulations exist is that marijuana is not approved as a therapeutic drug in Canada or any country in the world. Current scientific evidence has not established its safety and effectiveness. That's why Health Canada is doing research on marijuana to find out about the benefits and risks. Some tests are going on right now but none of the results are available yet.
The issue of marijuana for medical purposes is actually more complicated than most people realize. One big concern is supply - where do people authorized under the MMAR obtain their marijuana?
Holders of an authorization can currently obtain marijuana for medical purposes from three possible sources:
- They can grow their own supply.
- They can designate someone else to grow it for them.
- They can apply for access to the marijuana grown for Health Canada.
A person designated to grow marijuana must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of Canada. Designated persons can only grow for one authorized person. Plants can be grown indoors or outside, providing specific criteria are met. The marijuana grown for Health Canada is quality controlled and consistent so that it can also be used for research purposes.
Health Canada's Marihuana Medical Access Division
