Medical cannabis hurdles remain in Canada. Here's why

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When the use of cannabis became legal in Canada more than five years ago, there was hope that it would help ease access for medical users of marijuana. But doctors say the evidence for some medical usage is lacking, leaving some patients frustrated.

The federal government-run program for medical cannabis started more than 20 years ago. Soon after, patients started to complain it was difficult to find doctors who were on board with giving medical authorizations to obtain the drug through official channels.

Some hoped legalization of recreational cannabis in 2018 would also ease hurdles on the medical side, such as learning how effective or ineffective it is for particular conditions, reducing stigma and red tape, as well as prices.

But that's not how it's worked out for all patients. 

At Santé Cannabis, a Montreal-based clinic and research centre, a nurse calls patients to check in after their first visit for chronic pain from conditions such as osteoarthritis, as well as multiple sclerosis, anxiety and poor sleep.

"To this day, we have patients that are struggling at one month to receive their order or to … complete the process because it is still so complicated," said Erin Prosk, the clinic's president and co-founder.

Prosk said the primary example of patients lacking smooth access is how they still have to wait for shipments to come in the mail instead of getting medical cannabis from their pharmacist.

That way, patients could talk to a health professional if they have questions about the dose instead of relying on a sales clerk, Prosk said.

Patients also rely on physicians for medical guidance. 

But a spokesperson for the Canadian Medical Association pointed to its 2020 policy that says the group "has consistently expressed concern with the role of gatekeeper that physicians have been asked to take as a result of court decisions."

For some users of medical marijuana, stigma around the drug remains an issue even with the legalization of recreational use of the drug in 2018.

Ashar, 23, says he faces misconceptions in the workplace around use of medical cannabis and wants the protection that comes with the medical access stream to continue.

When he was 17, Ashar was diagnosed with a learning disability that has symptoms similar to those shown by people with autism. After conventional treatments like psychotherapy didn't improve his difficulty with speaking, a family physician suggested trying medical cannabis in the form of a fine powder, delivered in an inhaler-like device similar to those used by people with asthma.