Pubdate: Thu, 31 Dec 2015
Source: Kingston Whig-Standard (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.thewhig.com/letters
Website: http://www.thewhig.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/224
Author: Elliot Ferguson
Page: A3

STIGMA STILL SURROUNDS MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

OTTAWA - Frank Medewar considers himself an educator and consultant.

His area of expertise is marijuana, or rather helping other people 
who are considering medicinal marijuana treatment.

"Where we started, which has now changed, is with individuals who are 
disabled, immobilized or too far rural that they had no access to a 
medical marijuana clinic," said Medewar, owner of InfoCannabis, an 
Ottawa-based service that provides information and education to 
people about how to access and use medically prescribed marijuana.

"I started helping people in my neighbourhood and eventually people 
started to say, 'Your service is needed.'"

After contacting Health Canada and the College of Physicians and 
Surgeons to inquire about the possibility of offering this kind of 
service, Medewar opened up shop.

Since 2013, Medewar, 38, a former financial adviser, has visited more 
than 100 people in their homes in the Ottawa region to explain to 
them what they need to qualify for a medicinal marijuana 
prescription. He explains to them the forms they need to fill out, 
the test results they need and the kind of marijuana they need to use.

What Medewar does not do is provide people with marijuana.

"I've shown up at a person's house, specifically stating that I'd be 
showing up to help them with their prescription, show them what they 
need to do, what paperwork to fill out and they thought I was showing 
up to sell them marijuana," said Medewar, who says he has clients in 
the Kingston area.

Medewar is clear that he only offers education, consultation and 
provides clients connection to doctors who can review their potential 
for medical marijuana prescriptions.

"When a person has no access to a prescribing doctor, we take their 
medical file. My doctors review it and, based off the conversation 
with them and the medical file, they determine if medical marijuana 
would be a suitable alternative form of treatment," he said.

Medewar said there is still a lot of stigma surrounding marijuana, 
both amongst patients who may benefit from it and doctors who can prescribe it.

"You may think a person just goes into their doctor's office and 
says, 'Hey, Doc, I've been suffering with back pain for 60 years, can 
you give me some marijuana?' It doesn't quite work like that," he 
said. "Ninety per cent of doctors are reluctant to sign the 
prescriptions yet they are more than OK signing over 150 pills per month."

Medewar said he was the first in Canada providing this kind of 
service, but two other companies in the Ottawa area have started up since.

The Ottawa Medical Dispensary opened to some controversy last month 
by being the city's first walk-in pot shop - allowing those with a 
prescription to buy on site.

National Access Cannabis on Wellington Street West offers in-house 
consultations for people wanting to learn more.

- - With files from Postmedia Network
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom