Pubdate: Mon, 21 Jul 2014
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Blake Wolfe
Page: 6

POT DOC WILL SEE YOU NOW

Toronto's first referral-only medical marijuana clinic opens its
doors

Inside a brand-new medical clinic near the intersection of Yonge St.
and Eglinton Ave., a patient walks up to the counter following his
appointment.

An employee stands with him, offering advice on the man's new
medication.

"Be sure to grind it well before consuming it," the staffer says. "You
want it fluffy like dryer lint. Fluffy is your friend when it comes to
vaporizers."

The patient thanks him for the advice and heads out the
door.

It's a normal exchange at the Cannabinoid Medical Clinic - CMClinic
for short - Toronto's first referral-only medical marijuana clinic.

It was a busy first week for executive director Dr. Danial Schecter
and his staff after officially opening the clinic's doors on July 14
and seeing dozens of the approximately 700 patients on the wait list.
Talk of additional clinics in Canada is already taking place, Schecter
says.

The clinic opened in the wake of new federal regulations regarding
medical marijuana use. The rules, which came into effect on April 1,
require that patients procure their stash from an approved supplier
with a doctor's prescription.

Schecter, who learned of marijuana's medical effects while studying at
the University of Montreal, set up the Toronto clinic after
successfully using the plant to treat several patients at his former
practice near Georgian Bay.

"I had a patient who suffered from anxiety so badly that he literally
flapped when he walked into my office," recalled Schecter, adding that
the man self-medicated with alcohol and was afraid to consume
marijuana for fear of returning to prison. "I saw his treatment as a
success, and when the new regulations were announced, it was an
opportunity to help many more people."

Despite criticism from some doctors and health organizations about the
lack of evidence for marijuana's medical benefits, Schecter said he
hopes to change that perception by contributing to the emerging field
through his work at the clinic. He explained that in his experience,
family doctors fall into three categories: The 10% who are firmly
opposed to the medical use of weed, another 10% who are open to the
concept but cautious, and the 80% who are willing to prescribe it as a
last resort for patients who have tried everything else.

"This is something that's talked about for maybe five or 10 minutes in
medical school," Schecter mused. "The research done here will allow us
to make a solid contribution to a novel field of medicine. I'm trying
to educate the skeptical physicians and help that 80% (willing to
prescribe marijuana)."

While other marijuana clinics have recently sprung up in Toronto,
Schecter is quick to point out that CMClinic is referral-only and is
covered through OHIP, similar to other medical specialists that a
patient may be referred to by their family doctor.

Clinic spokesman Bridget Best said that the facility operates more as
a referral and educational centre for doctors and patients alike who
may need assistance in learning about the various forms that cannabis
can take as well as the myriad consumption methods.

Schecter said that as opposed to the typical recreational user who may
consume mass quantities of weed due to tolerance of the drug, his
patients often manage their pain by using less than a gram per day.

While patients are free to consume marijuana in whichever way they
choose, the clinic sells vaporizers (which create marijuana vapour
instead of smoke) as opposed to typical head shop fare like glass
pipes and bongs. No marijuana is stored on site, Best said.

Pursuing a medication more often associated with recreational and
illicit consumption is often a last resort for most of the clinic's
patients - many of whom hail from various points across the GTA and
southern Ontario, while others still have inquired from as far away as
Germany and Panama.

Schecter, who said that he tries to avoid prescribing pot to anyone
under 25 due to the inconclusive effects of the drug on the growing
brain, deals predominantly with patients in "chronic pain," ranging
from those suffering with the lingering effects of accidents and
chemotherapy to those requiring palliative care.

Travelling to the clinic from Bowmanville, patient Bob Landry recalled
the 2011 traffic accident that left him with lingering pain and
headaches. While Landry said that he has successfully used marijuana
to treat his condition after traditional prescription drugs proved
either ineffective or unthinkable, he sought out the clinic to help
with proper dosages.

"I tried normal painkillers first, then my doctor offered me Oxycontin
- - I refused," Landry said, explaining that his cousin had died from
the controversial drug. "I believe this is the solution. I prefer to
acquire it legally and, this way, I know what I'm getting.

"I hope to one day return to my normal activities."
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MAP posted-by: Matt