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9 cannapatientcare.com march/april 2021 | cannabis patient care doctor focus Medical Cannabis in Canada Canada's medical cannabis landscape has grown exponentially in recent years. Regulation was established by the country's national health authority, Health Canada, in 2001. The change stemmed from a decision by The Ontario Court of Appeal, which ruled prohibition unconstitutional, as it didn't allow exemption for medical use. The country's initial legislation allowed for approved patients to grow their own plants, or to acquire their medicine from a designated grower. Legislation was modernized in 2014 to allow patients to purchase products directly from a licensed commercial pro- ducer such as WeedMD, which received its initial licensing in 2016. Medical authorization from a licensed health care practi- tioner is required for Canadian patients to purchase medi- cal cannabis, many of whom say they use it to treat a variety of ailments, from chronic pain to PTSD. Once authorized, pa- tients may register with a licensed producer of their choice and buy direct. According to Hildebrand, the average amount generally prescribed is 2 grams per day, though her patients often experiment with dosage under her supervision until the optimal dose is found. "The efficacy of cannabis medicine is still being studied and while the endocannabinoid system isn't taught in medi- cal school anywhere near as extensively as it should be, we are seeing the results for ourselves in our clinics," said Hildebrand. In 2018, cannabis was legalized for both medical and recre- ational adult-use under a combined legislation, The Cannabis Act, replacing the medical cannabis framework legalized in 2001. Under the legislation, adults are permitted to purchase cannabis at licensed retail locations (subject to laws on pos- session limits and consumption), though provisions around access, taxation, and possession exist for medical patients. "Despite cannabis' recreational legal status, many patients opt to remain registered in the medical system," said WeedMD's outdoor cannabis operation in Strathroy, Ontario, part of the company's 158-acre footprint which includes greenhouse growing space, outdoor, and processing facilities. Dr. Julie Hildebrand