Industry stuff
Globe says Tweed, others see doctor's guidelines on pot
2014-09-30 07:06 ET - In the News
Also In the News (C-BED) Bedrocan Cannabis Corp
Also In the News (C-OGI) OrganiGram Holdings Inc
The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition the College of Family Physicians of Canada has created new guidelines to help doctors determine if and when a patient should have access to marijuana to treat chronic pain or anxiety. The Globe's Carly Weeks writes the college's recommendations advise doctors to only approve access to medical marijuana for treatment of pain in patients who have not responded to other treatments, and say it is not appropriate for people under 25, those with a personal or family history of psychosis, or those with a substance abuse disorder. The recommendations also say medical marijuana is not appropriate therapy for insomnia or anxiety. The new rules make doctors responsible for approving access to medical marijuana despite the fact it has not been studied in depth by Health Canada or approved for therapeutic purposes. A court ruling requires the department to provide access to medical marijuana when authorized by a physician. The challenge for doctors is that no comprehensive, systematic scientific evidence has been conducted to determine how effective medical marijuana is, what conditions it helps with and who can best benefit from it.