Pubdate: Wed, 07 Oct 2015
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Sheryl Ubelacker
Page: D6

MEDICAL POT GROWERS AWAIT APPROVAL FOR CANNABIS OIL

TORONTO - A number of Canada's medical marijuana growers are poised to
release cannabis oils for authorized patients who don't want to smoke
or vaporize the dried herb to relieve symptoms.

In July, Health Canada gave growers the green light to begin producing
the plant-based extracts, which are expected to be approved for sale
in the coming months.

About a dozen of the country's 25 medicinal pot producers have sought
expanded licences to produce and market cannabis oils and/or fresh
marijuana buds and leaves under the updated federal regulations. Among
them are Ontario companies Tweed and Bedrocan Canada Inc., and
Nanaimo's Tilray.

Tilray announced Monday that it has 20 cannabis extract products
awaiting Health Canada approval, including oils in liquid form, gel
caps and a topical preparation for certain skin conditions.

"We really felt it was important to let patients and the general
public, physicians and researchers know about these products ahead of
time," said Philippe Lucas, the company's vice-president of research
and services.

"We know there's going to be a lot of questions about the products the
first time that these kinds of extract products will be legally
available in Canada," he said from Nanaimo.

Patients who have been authorized by their doctors to purchase dried
medical marijuana to treat such conditions as chronic pain, multiple
sclerosis symptoms or epilepsy will not need a new prescription in
order to access cannabis oils, he said.

"There's an equivalency factor that we've put into these and so there
will be an equivalency, for example, of the number of gel caps or the
amount of oil you're allowed to order, based on your daily and monthly
limits.

"So any Canadian who's authorized to use medical cannabis right now
would be able to access these," said Lucas, noting that the oils will
be delivered by mail or courier in the same way the dried herb is
currently shipped.

Bruce Linton, chairman and CEO of the recently merged Bedrocan and
Tweed, said the company initially plans to release two or three
cannabis oil products, which could be scaled up to 10 or more,
depending on patient demand.

"There are different types of oils," Linton said from the Tweed plant
in Smiths Falls, Ont., southwest of Ottawa. "The combination of
ingredients is expected to have a similar effect in its oil form as it
does in its flower form."

For instance, an oil could include a combination of marijuana strains,
while another could be a purified single strain with a specific
effect, such as helping a person with chronic pain to sleep.

"So each of the venues has their own distinct strains, which have
their own distinct applications and will become their own distinct
oils," he said of the Bedrocan and Tweed growing facilities.
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