Ottawa screws Vets

willieboy

willieboy

Well-Known Member
Ottawa bringing in stricter limits on medical marijuana for veterans
Veterans Affairs cites rising costs and demand in cutting threshold to 3 grams a day from 10
By Catherine Cullen, CBC News Posted: Nov 22, 2016 11:16 AM ET Last Updated: Nov 22, 2016 12:42 PM ET


Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr is scaling back the amount of medical marijuana that will be covered by his department. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

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Catherine Cullen
Reporter, Parliamentary Bureau

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Faced with skyrocketing costs and ballooning demand, the federal government is dramatically cutting back the amount of medical marijuana it will cover for veterans.

Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr plans to scale back the limit for reimbursement from 10 grams of medical marijuana per day to three. He made the announcement at the Canadian Military and Veteran Health Research Forum in Vancouver.

Last March, Hehr told CBC News he was launching an internal policy review, after data showed the number of medical marijuana prescriptions had shot up — growing more than tenfold in two years.

Veterans will be allowed to continue charging for their current amount until May 21, 2017. There will also be an exception for veterans in "exceptional circumstances." A psychiatrist, pain specialist, oncologist or other health specialist would have to submit an application explaining the rationale for a larger quantity.






New pot rules for veterans4:11

In another cost-control measure, the department will set a dollar limit of $8.50 per gram that licensed producers can charge, based on what it sees as "fair market value."

The new policy includes allowing veterans to claim cannabis oil and fresh marijuana, as well as the dried product. That change comes into effect immediately.

Program under scrutiny
There's been plenty of criticism of the existing program. In his spring 2016 report, the Auditor General said he couldn't figure out what evidence the department used to set a limit of 10 grams of marijuana per veteran per day. He noted that Health Canada had warned more than five grams per day led to increased health risks. including to the heart and lungs, as well as increased risk of dependence.


Former NDP MP Peter Stoffer has raised questions about the amount of medical cannabis prescribed by some doctors. He has taken on a role as public affairs advocate for Trauma Healing Centres, a company which advocates using veterans using medical cannabis to deal with chronic pain as well as trauma including PTSD. The group later clarified it was not calling for prescriptions to be "slashed."

Even a spokesperson for one group that advocates for veterans using medical cannabis suggested 10 grams per day was "an incredible amount" to be prescribing.

The report also noted that just one doctor wrote 29 per cent of the medical marijuana prescriptions in the 2014-15 fiscal year.

The department's change in policy comes after consulting with veterans, licensed marijuana producers and medical experts.

Veterans Affairs said the physicians it consulted recommended one or two grams a day was a reasonable amount in the vast majority of cases. It says Health Canada's data shows the average Canadian is authorized 2.6 grams per day.
 
VIANARCHRIS

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
Crazy how this data suggesting 2 or 3 grams should be the maximum dosage just materializes when they want to cut costs. I thought there were no studies to base dosage requirements...or anything else in regards to cannabis. It would be interesting to know what other medications Veterans affairs has restricted maximum dosage to. I'm guessing this is exclusive to mmj.
 
doingdishes

doingdishes

Well-Known Member
i guess the Feds are seeing how LP's rape patients but instead of doing something for everyone, they cut what they will cover....but no word on how much pharma they'll cover
so hypocritical!
Jeanine Richot said the average was 18 grams in the Allard trial so where do they get this 1-3 crap?? their own data shows that # is wrong
 
torontoke

torontoke

Well-Known Member
VIANARCHRIS said:
Crazy how this data suggesting 2 or 3 grams should be the maximum dosage just materializes when they want to cut costs. I thought there were no studies to base dosage requirements...or anything else in regards to cannabis. It would be interesting to know what other medications Veterans affairs has restricted maximum dosage to. I'm guessing this is exclusive to mmj.
Click to expand...
Guaranteed
The lp crap costs them a small fortune. It's way cheaper to just up the opioids and kill them off then extend their lives
doingdishes said:
i guess the Feds are seeing how LP's rape patients but instead of doing something for everyone, they cut what they will cover....but no word on how much pharma they'll cover
so hypocritical!
Jeanine Richot said the average was 18 grams in the Allard trial so where do they get this 1-3 crap?? their own data shows that # is wrong
Click to expand...
They make the shit up as they need too cus there's very little anyone can do about it. By the time anything is challenged it will be available for rec sales.
 
VIANARCHRIS

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
TheRealDman said:
Pointless....all you'll get is a heavily redacted version guaranteed!
Click to expand...
Not pointless, imo, even if it is heavily redacted. It would put the government and the LP's in an awkward position when they are asked what they have to hide. Let's throw the doctors and colleges in the mix, too. Anything we can do to get the attention of the media and public into the current scam.With the legalization task force about to present their report to gov. this week or next, it might be a good time to find a journalist to do a side piece on the plight of medical patients under the new regs.
 
VIANARCHRIS

VIANARCHRIS

Well-Known Member
1st draft...not sure where I'll send it yet,a radio or print journalist? Suggestions?

I am writing you in hopes of bring attention to what I consider to be a government sanctioned scam involving Health Canada, the licensed marijuana producers and doctors.

I am a male in my mid-fifties who suffers from a degenerative bone disease and I use cannabis to lessen the pain. I have tried a shopping list of prescription drugs, none of which helped and most had side-effects far worse than the problem they were meant to treat.

With legalization for recreational use imminent and an August court ruling granting patients the right to grow, the Liberal government has failed in it's attempt to create a more accessible program. I am not alone in expressing my lack of confidence in them producing a workable recreational legislation.

My concern, currently, is with the medical system. I am one of the 'lucky' ones in that I am still covered by the court injunction and I am not forced to register under the ACMPR, which is the Liberal's 'interim' medical marijuana program. There are thousands who were not covered by the injunction and they must now find a doctor to approve the use of this plant, in many cases replacing a number of pharmaceuticals. This is the first of many hurdles a patient faces. Doctors are very reluctant to even listen to a patient who mentions cannabis, even under the old MMAR. Most used the excuse that they do not have the research necessary to determine an accurate dosage, which Health Canada backed up, and that the various colleges of physicians and surgeons had threatened sanctions for doctors who prescribed the use of the plant. Many patients resorted to 'cannabis clinics' and paid a fee to have a doctor sign the forms. The common fee about 5 years ago was around $450. Fast forward to today with the ACMPR, and doctors willing to listen to what a patient claims is the least harmful medication option are even more scarce. The cannabis clinics continue to thrive, with some charging up to $2000 depending on the dosage you require. Others will only sign for you to purchase from a specific producer and will refuse you a script if you intend to grow your own. They ALL charge the provincial health care systems for a standard patient visit on top of the fee.

Let's think about this. Which other medication is treated remotely like cannabis? What would happen if doctors decided the only way for grandma to get her arthritis pain medication script is to pay an extortion fee to a clinic? What about a sliding fee scale if she requires a higher dose? How about forcing Grandma to agree to only fill the prescription at the doctor's favorite pharmacy
( the one providing kickbacks...hmmm?)

In an article today, I read that Veterans Canada is reducing the allowable dosage from 10g /day to 3g. The reasoning was that doctors have said the maximum effective dose is 2 to 3 grams per day. After years of living in an information vacuum around anything 'marihuana', I'm very confused as to where they suddenly acquired this research? Are they also reducing the dosage for soldiers using opiates? Morphine, Oxycotin etc. are addictive and can be fatal, unlike the cannabis plant, and with the rash of overdoses plaguing parts of our country, you would think they would tackle the real dangers first. How do you think a soldier will react when he's told his pain meds are being cut by two-thirds?

With legalization coming and retail sales expected by 2018, the need for a person to consult a doctor to approve of their choice of medicine becomes non-existent, yet doctors will still be in control of granting 'permission' for someone to grow. I can grow 15kg of tobacco and brew as much beer and wine as I choose, both of which are known killers, yet I am still treated like a second class citizen for my choice of medicine.

I would be interested in a in-depth expose on the unfair and discriminatory treatment of medical marijuana patients and the doctors who are extorting money to allow someone to treat their pain naturally and without resorting to life-numbing pharmaceuticals. Anything you can do to raise awareness is very much appreciated by many of us in the cannabis community.
 
T

TheDizzyBizzy

Well-Known Member
doingdishes said:
Jeanine Richot said the average was 18 grams in the Allard trial so where do they get this 1-3 crap?? their own data shows that # is wrong
Click to expand...
The article says where they got it from. Gram totals based on the MMAR are not a realistic measurement of need. We all know that. Tons of stories of people paying off doctors and doctors just signing whatever the patient said. Say what you will about how good or bad these practices are, it's not like it's some kind of scientific bar.
 
N

nobody important 666

Well-Known Member
VIANARCHRIS said:
1st draft...not sure where I'll send it yet,a radio or print journalist? Suggestions?

I am writing you in hopes of bring attention to what I consider to be a government sanctioned scam involving Health Canada, the licensed marijuana producers and doctors.

I am a male in my mid-fifties who suffers from a degenerative bone disease and I use cannabis to lessen the pain. I have tried a shopping list of prescription drugs, none of which helped and most had side-effects far worse than the problem they were meant to treat.

With legalization for recreational use imminent and an August court ruling granting patients the right to grow, the Liberal government has failed in it's attempt to create a more accessible program. I am not alone in expressing my lack of confidence in them producing a workable recreational legislation.

My concern, currently, is with the medical system. I am one of the 'lucky' ones in that I am still covered by the court injunction and I am not forced to register under the ACMPR, which is the Liberal's 'interim' medical marijuana program. There are thousands who were not covered by the injunction and they must now find a doctor to approve the use of this plant, in many cases replacing a number of pharmaceuticals. This is the first of many hurdles a patient faces. Doctors are very reluctant to even listen to a patient who mentions cannabis, even under the old MMAR. Most used the excuse that they do not have the research necessary to determine an accurate dosage, which Health Canada backed up, and that the various colleges of physicians and surgeons had threatened sanctions for doctors who prescribed the use of the plant. Many patients resorted to 'cannabis clinics' and paid a fee to have a doctor sign the forms. The common fee about 5 years ago was around $450. Fast forward to today with the ACMPR, and doctors willing to listen to what a patient claims is the least harmful medication option are even more scarce. The cannabis clinics continue to thrive, with some charging up to $2000 depending on the dosage you require. Others will only sign for you to purchase from a specific producer and will refuse you a script if you intend to grow your own. They ALL charge the provincial health care systems for a standard patient visit on top of the fee.

Let's think about this. Which other medication is treated remotely like cannabis? What would happen if doctors decided the only way for grandma to get her arthritis pain medication script is to pay an extortion fee to a clinic? What about a sliding fee scale if she requires a higher dose? How about forcing Grandma to agree to only fill the prescription at the doctor's favorite pharmacy
( the one providing kickbacks...hmmm?)

In an article today, I read that Veterans Canada is reducing the allowable dosage from 10g /day to 3g. The reasoning was that doctors have said the maximum effective dose is 2 to 3 grams per day. After years of living in an information vacuum around anything 'marihuana', I'm very confused as to where they suddenly acquired this research? Are they also reducing the dosage for soldiers using opiates? Morphine, Oxycotin etc. are addictive and can be fatal, unlike the cannabis plant, and with the rash of overdoses plaguing parts of our country, you would think they would tackle the real dangers first. How do you think a soldier will react when he's told his pain meds are being cut by two-thirds?

With legalization coming and retail sales expected by 2018, the need for a person to consult a doctor to approve of their choice of medicine becomes non-existent, yet doctors will still be in control of granting 'permission' for someone to grow. I can grow 15kg of tobacco and brew as much beer and wine as I choose, both of which are known killers, yet I am still treated like a second class citizen for my choice of medicine.

I would be interested in a in-depth expose on the unfair and discriminatory treatment of medical marijuana patients and the doctors who are extorting money to allow someone to treat their pain naturally and without resorting to life-numbing pharmaceuticals. Anything you can do to raise awareness is very much appreciated by many of us in the cannabis community.
Click to expand...
You should send a copy to ever major news media and have them print it in the letters to the editor.
 
doingdishes

doingdishes

Well-Known Member
Friendly Leaf219 said:
What kind of person smokes 10 grams a day anyways?

Give your lungs a rest :oops:
Click to expand...
you need to do some reading.
1 g of oil is more than 10 g and you swallow that.

did you ever see someone smoke a pack of cigs in a day? that could be 20-25 depending on where you buy them...i know several people including myself when i smoked. when i went to the bar, i smoked more..up to 3 packs so i think your logic is flawed.

if someone needs to smoke 10 g a day, that's their business and not for someone else to judge. my friend has a 300 g a day license. do you think he can smoke that much??
 
GrowRock

GrowRock

Well-Known Member
VIANARCHRIS said:
1st draft...not sure where I'll send it yet,a radio or print journalist? Suggestions?

I am writing you in hopes of bring attention to what I consider to be a government sanctioned scam involving Health Canada, the licensed marijuana producers and doctors.

I am a male in my mid-fifties who suffers from a degenerative bone disease and I use cannabis to lessen the pain. I have tried a shopping list of prescription drugs, none of which helped and most had side-effects far worse than the problem they were meant to treat.

With legalization for recreational use imminent and an August court ruling granting patients the right to grow, the Liberal government has failed in it's attempt to create a more accessible program. I am not alone in expressing my lack of confidence in them producing a workable recreational legislation.

My concern, currently, is with the medical system. I am one of the 'lucky' ones in that I am still covered by the court injunction and I am not forced to register under the ACMPR, which is the Liberal's 'interim' medical marijuana program. There are thousands who were not covered by the injunction and they must now find a doctor to approve the use of this plant, in many cases replacing a number of pharmaceuticals. This is the first of many hurdles a patient faces. Doctors are very reluctant to even listen to a patient who mentions cannabis, even under the old MMAR. Most used the excuse that they do not have the research necessary to determine an accurate dosage, which Health Canada backed up, and that the various colleges of physicians and surgeons had threatened sanctions for doctors who prescribed the use of the plant. Many patients resorted to 'cannabis clinics' and paid a fee to have a doctor sign the forms. The common fee about 5 years ago was around $450. Fast forward to today with the ACMPR, and doctors willing to listen to what a patient claims is the least harmful medication option are even more scarce. The cannabis clinics continue to thrive, with some charging up to $2000 depending on the dosage you require. Others will only sign for you to purchase from a specific producer and will refuse you a script if you intend to grow your own. They ALL charge the provincial health care systems for a standard patient visit on top of the fee.

Let's think about this. Which other medication is treated remotely like cannabis? What would happen if doctors decided the only way for grandma to get her arthritis pain medication script is to pay an extortion fee to a clinic? What about a sliding fee scale if she requires a higher dose? How about forcing Grandma to agree to only fill the prescription at the doctor's favorite pharmacy
( the one providing kickbacks...hmmm?)

In an article today, I read that Veterans Canada is reducing the allowable dosage from 10g /day to 3g. The reasoning was that doctors have said the maximum effective dose is 2 to 3 grams per day. After years of living in an information vacuum around anything 'marihuana', I'm very confused as to where they suddenly acquired this research? Are they also reducing the dosage for soldiers using opiates? Morphine, Oxycotin etc. are addictive and can be fatal, unlike the cannabis plant, and with the rash of overdoses plaguing parts of our country, you would think they would tackle the real dangers first. How do you think a soldier will react when he's told his pain meds are being cut by two-thirds?

With legalization coming and retail sales expected by 2018, the need for a person to consult a doctor to approve of their choice of medicine becomes non-existent, yet doctors will still be in control of granting 'permission' for someone to grow. I can grow 15kg of tobacco and brew as much beer and wine as I choose, both of which are known killers, yet I am still treated like a second class citizen for my choice of medicine.

I would be interested in a in-depth expose on the unfair and discriminatory treatment of medical marijuana patients and the doctors who are extorting money to allow someone to treat their pain naturally and without resorting to life-numbing pharmaceuticals. Anything you can do to raise awareness is very much appreciated by many of us in the cannabis community.
Click to expand...
Start a petition and get sigs with it to give to every Media outlet that will listen. It's time the average joe taxpayers find out how much money is wasted fighting sick Canadians for a safe affordable herbal medicine.
 
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