CMCIA Statement Regarding Allard Decision

OTTAWA , Feb. 25, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - CMCIA thanks the Federal Court and Justice Phelan for the ruling on the Allard case, and will review it in detail.

Per the ruling, the status quo for medical cannabis in Canada will continue for at least six months, while the federal government considers how to respond, and we will await the government's decisions and guidance on how to proceed.

Overall, it is clear that, since Health Canada's Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) came into full force in April 2014, Canada has an excellent medical cannabis system, but some limitations remain for some patients and, therefore, the system will need to evolve. As demonstrated in the wake of the Smith decision in 2015, Health Canada is capable of responding swiftly with amendments to the MMPR, and it is reasonable to believe they can do so again.

The ruling highlighted the point that for some patients, access to medical cannabis can still be improved – a point with which we agree. It also reaffirmed something important: that use of cannabis as a medicine is of significant value to patients, and a constitutional right.

The MMPR currently provides more than 40,000 patients with access to consistent, quality controlled, traceable, and affordable medical cannabis, and the number of registered patients is increasing every month. A continuously increasing number of patients are choosing to rely on the extremely wide variety of high quality, Health Canada-regulated medical cannabis and cannabis oils available from Canada's Licensed Producers.

About CMCIA

The Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) is Canada's leading member-driven association for Licensed Producers (LPs) of medical cannabis. The Association represents the majority of producers currently licensed under Health Canada's Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR).

CMCIA's mission is to promote national standards and best practices by supporting the development, growth and integrity of the medical cannabis industry. The Association acts as the national voice for Canada's LPs, and serves as a credible and trusted resource on issues related to medical cannabis industry.

The Association shares a philosophy of patient-centric care and improved public health, and is committed to product safety and quality, secure and reliable access for registered patients, and the promotion of the safe and effective use of cannabis for medical purposes. www.cmcia.ca

SOURCE Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association

Cam Battley, Chair, Advocacy Committee, CMCIA, [email protected], 905.864.5525