Harper Government Announces New Medical Marihuana Regulations
(firmenpresse) - OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 06/10/13 -- Today, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced new regulations that will change the way Canadians access marihuana for medical purposes. The new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on June 19, 2013.
"While the courts have said that there must be reasonable access to a legal source of marihuana for medical purposes, we believe that this must be done in a controlled fashion in order to protect public safety," said Minister Aglukkaq. "These changes will strengthen the safety of Canadian communities, while making sure patients can access what they need to treat serious illnesses."
Since its introduction in 2001, Health Canada's Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP) has grown exponentially, from under 500 authorized persons to over 30,000 today. This rapid increase has had unintended consequences for public health, safety and security as a result of allowing individuals to produce marihuana in their homes. Under the new regulations, production will no longer take place in homes and municipal zoning laws will need to be respected, which will further enhance public safety.
The new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations aim to treat marihuana as much as possible like other narcotics used for medical purposes. The regulations will provide access to quality-controlled marihuana for medical purposes, produced under secure and sanitary conditions, to those Canadians who need it.
The regulations will also streamline the process for applicants and health care practitioners. Under the new regime, individuals will not be required to provide personal medical information to Health Canada. Health care practitioners will be able to sign a medical document enabling patients to purchase the appropriate amount related to their conditions directly from a Licensed Producer approved by Health Canada.
In order to facilitate the transition from the current program to the new regime, both will operate concurrently until March 31, 2014. Effective April 1, 2014, Health Canada will no longer produce and distribute marihuana for medical purposes. The current Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) will be repealed on March 31, 2014, when the new regime is fully implemented. Additional information on key dates will be provided to program participants and other stakeholders throughout the transition period.
For a copy of the new regulations in advance of the June 19 publication date, please email: .
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INFORMATION June 2013
Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations
New Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) will come into force in June 2013.
Following broad consultations with stakeholders, the Government of Canada was concerned that the Marihuana Medical Access Program (MMAP) was open to abuse.
The MMPR represent a comprehensive response to a number of concerns raised over the past years and during the public comment period following the introduction of the draft regulations in December 2012.
The regulations aim to treat marihuana as much as possible like any other narcotic used for medical purposes by creating conditions for a new, commercial industry that is responsible for its production and distribution. The regulations will provide access to quality-controlled marihuana for medical purposes, produced under secure and sanitary conditions, to those Canadians who need it, while strengthening the safety of Canadian communities. In addition, the new regulations will also provide more choices of marihuana strains and commercial suppliers.
Under the new regulations:
Under the new regulations, licensed producers will have to meet extensive security and quality control requirements. For example, when potential licensed producers apply to Health Canada for a license, they must demonstrate that:
Health care practitioners will sign a medical document enabling patients to purchase the appropriate amount for their medical condition from a Licensed Producer approved by Health Canada.
To help health care practitioners, Health Canada has updated and will soon publish the "Information for Health Care Professionals - Cannabis (marihuana, marijuana) and the cannabinoids" on its web site. The document will present a summary of the peer-reviewed scientific and medical literature concerning potential therapeutic uses and harmful effects of cannabis (marihuana) and cannabinoids.
In order to facilitate the transition from the MMAP to the new regime, both will operate concurrently until March 31, 2014. Program participants can continue to produce marihuana for medical purposes, designate someone to produce for them, or purchase it from Health Canada until that date.
Effective October 1, 2013, new applications for personal or designated production licences will no longer be accepted by Health Canada. At any time during the transition period, individuals can move from their current means of accessing marihuana for medical purposes to purchasing it from Licensed Producers under the new regime.
The current program costs Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars each year because the $5/gram charged to program participants who choose to purchase from Health Canada is heavily subsidized. Under the new regime, Licensed Producers will set the price for marihuana for medical purposes. Once the first established Licensed Producers have set a price for dried marihuana, Health Canada will align the price of its supply with the market price so as not to undermine the creation of this new industry.
Transitioning to the New System
The Government of Canada has introduced new regulations that will change the way Canadians access marihuana for medical purposes. The new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) will be published in Canada Gazette, Part II, on June 19, 2013. The current Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) will be repealed on March 31, 2014. During this transition period, both regulations will be in force. Below are some key dates during the transition period.
June 19, 2013
June 19, 2013 - March 31, 2014
October 1, 2013
March 31, 2014
April 1, 2014
Contacts:
Media Inquiries:
Health Canada
613-957-2983
Cailin Rogers
Office of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq
Federal Minister of Health
(613) 957-0200
Public Inquiries:
613-957-2991
1-866-225-0709
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Datum: 10.06.2013 - 07:44 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1235289
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