TURNING A NEW LEAF // MEDICAL CANNABIS
Turning A NEW LEAF
MEDICAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY FINDS ITS FOOTING AMID CHANGING REGULATIONS BY JAMIE ZACHARY
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ore than two decades after first being legalized, Canadians are continuing to come around when it comes to using cannabis for medical purposes, say industry experts.
Since then, the industry has boomed, with the number of medical marijuana clients registered in Canada hitting a peak of 377,024 in 2020 before easing slightly to 264,686 in late 2021, according to Health Canada.
And many believe regulatory relaxation around cannabis use in recent years will only further open minds to what they say are countless benefits the drug can offer, especially on the heels of a stress-ridden pandemic.
“Since around 2016/17, especially, you’ve really seen a number of medical cannabis shops set up around cities like Calgary,” says Christine Barry, a Calgary-based business development expert in medical cannabis, pharmaceutical and nature health.
“There are so many applications. I’ve personally talked with thousands of patients who have come back with success stories, whether for anxiety or sleep or pain,” says Hart Steinfeld, a Calgary-based cannabis education and training specialist. “Honestly, pick your ailment and there’s probably some cannabinoid therapy that will help you.” The medical cannabis industry in Canada traces back to 1999 when two patients were first provided legal access to dried marijuana for medical purposes. This was followed up two years later when Health Canada regulated access to cannabis for licensed patients suffering from HIV/AIDS and other illnesses.
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JULY 2022 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM
To access cannabis for medical purposes, a person must obtain a medical document by a healthcare professional. Federal regulations then dictate that person either register with a licensed producer to legally order cannabis – licensed producers are companies authorized by the government to grow, harvest, process and sell medical cannabis – or grow a limited amount for their own medical purposes. A person can also designate someone else to produce it for them. Cannabis specialists such as Steinfeld point to a growing list of medical conditions that may benefit from cannabis, from Crohn’s to chronic pain, migraines to MS and sleep disorders to stress.
