Pubdate: Thu, 11 Jun 2015
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2015 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/wEtbT4yU
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Greg Engel
Note: Greg Engel is CEO of Tilray. For more information about the 
Canadian Medical Cannabis Council visit www.Cmcc-cccm.ca.
Page: A10

ETHICS: THE NON-NEGOTIABLE CORE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS

Last year Canada garnered global headlines when it made a historic 
shift to a federally legal, commercial medical cannabis industry. As 
a result, today our country finds itself at the epicentre of one of 
the world's newest, fastest growing and most complicated industries.

In the rush to establish new companies, produce consistent supply of 
quality products, and develop relationships with physicians and 
patients, the industry has failed to clearly articulate a common Code 
of Ethics that reflects a non-negotiable commitment to serving the 
best interests of patients. This omission compromises the integrity 
of our fledgling industry at a critical moment as we work to build 
long-term legitimacy and overcome decades of social stigma and misperceptions.

Patients rightly expect that as producers of medicine we should hold 
ourselves to high standards. This is not practical without a Code of 
Ethics that is transparent, well communicated and accepted by all 
stakeholders. Physicians and the pharmaceutical industry, as an 
example, comply with standards of conduct that detail acceptable 
practices. Detractors are monitored and sanctioned, if necessary. The 
same must be true for medical cannabis producers.

For months, my company, Tilray, has been urging the Canadian Medical 
Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) - the current industry group 
representing Health Canada Licensed Producers (LPs) - to adopt a Code 
of Ethics that mandates a verifiable commitment to safety, 
transparency and avoidance of conflicts of interest. Unfortunately, 
CMCIA and its members have to date declined to adopt such a Code of Ethics.

Perhaps more concerning than the absence of a Code of Ethics is the 
current practice undertaken by many LPs of paying kickbacks to 
physicians, either directly or indirectly, for patient referrals. To 
be clear: Tilray has never and will never compensate a physician for 
a referral or for writing a prescription for medical cannabis. Given 
the fact that accepting kickbacks is clearly prohibited by the 
provincial Colleges of Physicians, we are surprised that this 
practice is so widespread.

For example, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario 
explicitly states that physicians "must not charge patients or 
licensed producers of dried marijuana for completing the medical 
document, or for any activities associated with completing the 
medical document, including, but not limited to: assessing the 
patient; reviewing his/her chart; educating or informing the patient 
about the risks or benefits of dried marijuana; or confirming the 
validity of a prescription." Yet we are aware of current CMCIA 
members who are paying doctors for engaging in all of the above practices.

Patients are best served when treatment choices are made without 
financial influence or incentive. Our objective as LPs should be to 
produce the highest quality product and support efforts that enable 
the patient and their physician alone to make an informed choice on 
the best medical cannabis strain for their individual medical need. 
It is extremely concerning to us that CMCIA has failed to prohibit 
kickbacks, an issue which has already been decided as a matter of 
policy by the provincial Colleges of Physicians.

When Health Canada established the Marihuana for Medical Purposes 
Regulations (MMPR) in 2014, it created the most stringent set of 
medical cannabis guidelines in the world. We knew then that we needed 
strict regulations to help ensure patients receive medicines that are 
safe and reliable. We know now that we also need exacting standards 
to ensure patients benefit from both the letter and spirit of the law.

For these reasons, it is with great disappointment that Tilray has 
been compelled to terminate our membership with CMCIA. Instead, we 
will spearhead the establishment of the Canadian Medical Cannabis 
Council (CMCC), a new association that recognizes our collective 
responsibility to help assure ethical behaviour from the entire 
medical cannabis supply chain. The new association's Code of Ethics 
is based on six fundamental and non-negotiable principles: integrity, 
safety, quality, access, security and research.

The medical cannabis industry has been tainted with misinformation 
and negative stereotypes that have been perpetuated by the low 
ethical standards accepted by the industry. Our efforts to 
investigate and demonstrate the therapeutic value of medical cannabis 
are consistently undermined by industry players who regularly choose 
incentives over integrity.

An unwavering commitment to ethics is the only viable way to build 
patient trust and establish our industry as a legitimate contributor 
to Canada's health-care system. CMCC reflects a long-term, resolute 
commitment and accountability to patients. All medical cannabis 
licensed producers and stakeholders are welcome to join as members as 
long as they commit to advancing the science, safety and efficacy of 
medical cannabis for patients and physicians in Canada and around the 
world in accordance with CMCC's Code of Ethics 
(www.Medicalcannabiscouncil.ca/code). As the first member, we are 
confident that others will realize the long-term value of the Code of 
Ethics and join CMCC.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom