Any physician who authorizes cannabis as a medical treatment option is expected by their provincial or territorial health care licensing authority (such as the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons) to have the necessary knowledge to do so. These authorities provide health care practitioners with guidelines and policies to follow before authorizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

These guidelines and policies may cover cannabis and it’s:

• pharmacology (study of drugs, in particular the cannabis plant),
• potential therapeutic uses,
• contraindications (a condition or factor that provides a reason to withhold a certain medical treatment (drug, procedure, or surgery) because it may cause harm to the patient,
• adverse reactions, and
• dosing amounts

Private physicians

Your primary physician is the best person to first consult about using medical cannabis as they will have a good understanding of your medical history.

They will want to go over your reasons for wanting to use cannabis as a therapy, and may request tests or an examination before agreeing and providing you with a medical document that authorizes you to use it. You can then choose a Health Canada licensed seller to register with to be your licensed provider.

If your physician will not assist you with your medical marijuana prescription, there are many clinics available that have physicians who specialize in prescribing medical marijuana as a treatment. You usually need a referral from your doctor to visit a medical marijuana clinic.

Specialty clinics

Patients who are referred to a specialty clinic are given a consultation with a physician who will give them an assessment and write a prescription if they qualify.

If a patient is given a prescription for medical marijuana, clinic staff will then educate them on how to use medical cannabis and will offer to help them register directly with a licensed seller.

Are patients charged a fee to use a specialty clinic?

In most cases, doctors bill provincial health insurance programs for the consultations they provide, and the clinic takes a percentage of that billing to cover administrative costs.

Not all, but some clinics have contracts with licensed medical marijuana sellers, although patients can choose any licensed provider they wish. If the patient does register with one of the licensed producers the clinic has a contract with, that licensed producer would pay the clinic a fee for that patient.

As a patient, you are entitled to ask the clinic if they receive a fee for a referral to a specific medical cannabis provider.

For more information, view other topics in Cannabis Law. Refer to Health Canada for a list of licensed cultivators, processors and sellers.

Get help

To erase your criminal record for simple cannabis possession or any other criminal charges, call toll-free 1-888-808-3628 or learn more at Pardon Partners. It’s easier than you think.

If you have been charged with a criminal offence, it is important to hire an experienced criminal defence lawyer as soon as possible. Contact our preferred criminal defence expert, Calvin Barry Criminal Lawyers for a free consultation at 1-866-961-4963 .

								
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