2016-08-18 06:09 ET
The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Health Canada (HC) says, "The way individuals access cannabis for medical purposes is changing." The Globe's Andrea Hill writes that with that statement, HC introduced a new set of regulations, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR), which will replace the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) on Aug. 24. Until now, the MMPR have been the official legal platform for Canada's medical cannabis industry. However, Ottawa was obligated to rework them after a Federal Court decision last February found the MMPR unconstitutionally restricted patients' access to weed. Courts have found that Canadians have a right to "reasonable access" to marijuana for medical purposes -- but what "reasonable access" means is far from settled. The ACMPR are the government's latest proposal for "reasonable access," and blend recognition of commercial licensed producers -- a product of the MMPR -- with the ability (drawn from prior regulations) of authorized patients to either grow their own cannabis or appoint an individual "designated producer" to grow it for them. The new regulations are an interim measure only.