CanniMed Starter Program Unveiled to Support Physicians with Medical Cannabis Dosing and Delivery

Unique program supports treatment-naïve patients initiating therapy

SASKATOON, Jan. 15, 2015 /CNW/ - Using cannabis as a medicine is not new, but what is new is Health Canada placing physicians as the gatekeepers of the new Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) which started April 2014.

In an effort to help physicians navigate the new regulations, the wide range of products and the ever-changing landscape of medical cannabis varieties available in Canada, CanniMed is launching the CanniMed Starter Program to help patients and their doctors determine if medical cannabis is a suitable treatment option.

"In collaboration with our physician partners and advisors we have developed the Starter Program to fill an unmet need within the Canadian medical cannabis landscape," said Brent Zettl, CEO of CanniMed Ltd. "Cannabis is a personalized therapy, meaning that some degree of experimentation and trial is required to determine the potential therapeutic benefit. This new program will support patients and their physicians in navigating the early days of medical cannabis therapy."

The CanniMed Starter Program is founded on three main pillars - variety selection, delivery method and monitoring.

• Variety selection: The CanniMed Starter Program contains a five gram bottle of three Vaporizer Ready^TM CanniMed® products (CanniMed® 17·1, 9·9 and 4·10), each containing a unique ratio of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD).  
• Delivery method: CanniMed believes that vaporization is the ideal delivery method for medical cannabis as it offers dose consistency. The Starter Program contains the newly-released Arizer^TM Air portable vaporizer.
• Monitoring: Included in the Starter Program is the Evaluation Logbook designed to track and record three weeks of cannabis therapy and provide the basis for a fulsome follow up discussion with the physician.

"In my practice, patients interested in a trial of medical cannabis are often confused by the wide range of products available," said Dr. Lionel Marks de Chabris, Addiction and Pain Medicine Consultant, Assistant Professor, Northern Ontario School of Medicine. "They look for guidance and support through the early stages of the process, but it can be difficult to know where to start. The CanniMed Starter Program makes this simple and straightforward. Physicians authorizing a trial of medical cannabis will find it much easier to determine efficacy and treatment benefit using the completed log book as a guide."

Patients can access the CanniMed Starter Program by becoming a registered CanniMed patient. More information is available at http://CanniMed.ca.   

About CanniMed

CanniMed^® Ltd. was established in 2013 to provide Canadian patients with access to a standardized and trusted supply of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) governed by Health Canada.

Our history is much deeper, however. Our parent company, Prairie Plant Systems, was the sole supplier to Health Canada under the previous MMAR program, and as a result of these 14 years we have implemented procedures and processes in line with pharmaceutical manufacturing standards to ensure consistency of our product for Canadian patients.

We have the largest and most state-of-the-art medical cannabis facility in Canada and currently serve more than 4,000 patients. With a total capacity to grow cannabis for 25,000 Canadians, we are committed to helping people with chronic and terminal illnesses improve their quality of life when conventional medicine just isn't enough.

SOURCE CanniMed Ltd.

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CanniMed Ltd., Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Dara Willis, Dara Willis Communications, Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]