News

Not getting their medicine

Published on July 8, 2019 by oz. staff

1 in 4 medical cannabis users say they’re having a difficult time getting the weed they need.

Access is just one of the unintended consequences of recreational cannabis legalization on medical cannabis patients.

Patients are also suffering through supply issues and cost increases, which have led to 64% of medical cannabis users to under-dose or stretch out their supply.

It also found the majority of medical cannabis users surveyed (61%) self-medicate

“For many Canadians with arthritis, cannabis truly is medicine,” explains Janet Yale, Arthritis Society President and CEO. “It’s time the health system treat it as medicine – and that starts with ensuring that patients have timely, reliable and affordable access to the strains, forms and concentrations they need, and that they have the guidance of a health care professional throughout the process.”

The recent survey was jointly commissioned by Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana, the Arthritis Society and the Canadian Pharmacists Association.

They say the survey highlights some of the challenges, gaps and barriers patients are facing, both in terms of access and support from our health care system, and the government clearly needs to do more to support medical cannabis patients who have been left behind since recreational legalization.

It was conducted by Abacus Data and has a margin of error of +/- 2.53%, 19 times out of 20.