-From the federal government (Health Canada’s) Fact Sheet: 

Fact Sheet: Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations
August 2016

On August 11, 2016, Health Canada announced the new Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). These new regulations will replace the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) when they come into force on August 24, 2016, and are being implemented as a result of the Federal Court ruling in the case of Allard v. Canada. These new regulations will allow for reasonable access to cannabis for medical purposes for Canadians who have been authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes by their health care practitioner.

What does this mean for patients?

Individuals authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes by a health care practitioner will continue to have the option of purchasing safe, quality-controlled cannabis from one of the 34 producers licensed by Health Canada. They will also have the option of producing a limited amount of cannabis for their own medical purposes, or designating someone to produce it for them.

With the appropriate medical document from their health care practitioner, individuals can apply to register with Health Canada to produce a limited amount of cannabis for their own medical purposes or to designate someone to produce it for them.

Medical Marijuana, photo by Evan-Amos – Own work, Public Domain

With registration, individuals will be allowed to produce a limited number of plants based on a formula that takes into account the individual’s daily dose (i.e. quantity authorized by their physician) and the average yield of a plant under certain growing conditions, such as indoor or outdoor growing.

Individuals who were previously authorized to possess and/or produce marijuana under the former Marihuana Medical Access Regulations and who meet the terms of the Federal Court injunction order may continue to do so until the Court orders otherwise. Individuals covered by the injunction who wish to change the terms of their license, such as a change in address or designated producer, will be able to do so by registering with Health Canada under the new regulations.

Additional information on how to register, including forms, will be available on Health Canada’s website on August 24. If you have any questions, please visit the Health Canada website or call toll-free at 1-866-337-7705 or email omc-bcm@hc-sc.gc.ca.

Related

• Information Bulletin: Safety and Security Considerations When Producing Cannabis for Your Own Medical Purposes
• Fact Sheet: Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations
• Understanding the New Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations
• List of Authorized Licensed Marijuana producers

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