One in four respondents to recent survey of Canadian medical cannabis patients say that access has become more difficult since the country legalized adult-use marijuana in 2018.
But access to medical cannabis isn’t the only problem that is affecting patients; issues with supply and pricing have caused many to under-dose or try to stretch their supply.
The Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) commissioned the survey jointly with the Arthritis Society (AS), and the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPA).
“As medication experts, we are regularly approached by patients about the use of cannabis for a variety of indications,” says CPA chair, Christine Hrudka. “It’s important to understand how patients may use and access cannabis in order to help them manage their medications and treatment. While we can do our part as pharmacists to support patients, what they need is more support from the government, who has left them behind on the road to legalization of recreational cannabis.”
Of the medical cannabis users surveyed, 61 percent indicated that they self-medicate, 38 percent obtain their medicine through the mail from a licensed producer, and 37 percent acquire cannabis from illicit sources.
The survey also showed that 38 percent of patients rely heavily on medical cannabis to treat physical pain, insomnia, stress, anxiety, and arthritis.
AS President Janet Yale says that cannabis truly is medicine for people in Canada who are living with arthritis and that it’s time that the health system treats it as such.
Yale says that starts with patients having access to affordable cannabis medicine and the guidance of a healthcare professional throughout the process.
The survey also found that 60 percent of patients take other medicines while using cannabis, 76 percent of which do not believe that the combinations will have any side effects.
Fifteen percent indicated that they had experienced side effects from combining cannabis with other medications or knew someone who had.
CFAMM president, Max Monahan-Ellison says that safe and affordable access is crucial to having an effective medical system for the thousands of Canadians who use cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Monahan-Ellison says that means treating cannabis like other medically-authorized treatments by eliminating the tax, improving insurance coverage, and providing convenient distribution in pharmacies and other locations.
