Ahead of marijuana's legalization for recreational use in Canada, a Quebec-based medical cannabis clinic is emphasizing better accessibility for the medical use of the drug.
Santé Cannabis was founded in 2014 and has been a center for clinical research on medical marijuana, as well as a place where Quebecers can go for legal medical marijuana prescriptions, resources, and follow-ups.
Its research director, Dr. Antonio Vigano, said the use of medical marijuana could be safer and easier to get if more physicians get on board with prescribing it.
"We need to convince our colleagues who are a bit skeptical that medical cannabis is a safe and effective treatment," Dr. Vigano said.
Dr. Vigano said the way to do so is through educating Quebec doctors.
"Not everything is really in physicians' understanding about patient needs, issues and best way to address their needs, so that is what we developed at Sante Cannabis," he said.
For Peter Cooke who has been dealing with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a chronic pain condition, for eight years, he said marijuana has been the only way to cope with it.
His doctors, however, haven't given him a medical marijuana card.
"My family doctor refused to give me a card because she doesn't believe that marijuana can help," Cooke said.
This is why Dr. Vigano said one of the main ways they're trying to remove the "bad reputation" attached to using marijuana.
"It's primarily prescribed as oil and via inhalation is not anymore just smoking, but is vaping, which is much safer access to a form of administration that is particularly effective in certain conditions," he said.
Sante Cannabis has centers in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and expects to open up more later this year.