Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana ask the public to urge Quebec government to grant an exemption for medical cannabis users

QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 21, 2019 /CNW/ - Adding to their public awareness campaign on the unfair taxation of medical cannabis, Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) are calling on the public to support medical cannabis users by signing the petition on the National Assembly website asking the Government of Quebec to include an exemption in Bill 2, An Act to tighten the regulation of cannabis, that will allow medical cannabis patients to medicate anywhere the consumption of tobacco is authorized. The bill aims to ban the use of cannabis in all public places across the province.

For tens of thousands of patients in Quebec, the daily use of medical cannabis makes it possible to cope with the symptoms of serious illnesses including acute neuropathic pain, spasticity and neuropathy associated with multiple sclerosis, loss of appetite in patients with HIV wasting syndrome and nausea induced by chemotherapy. These individuals can sometimes consume cannabis several times a day, including in public spaces, to relieve their symptoms.

"We believe that when prescribed by a health professional, cannabis should be safe, affordable, reliable and accessible," says CFAMM Vice-President, Gerald Major, who is also a patient using medical cannabis. "In addition to the unfair taxes added to medical cannabis by the various levels of government, Quebec patients will now be left with a legal and safe drug but will have no public place to consume it. The use of this medication should not become a source of stress for patients who have chosen to use plants to improve their quality of life. At the end of the day, it's the patients who suffer. "

Depending on their needs, medical cannabis users consume their medication in many forms. Part of the reason is that the body responds differently depending on the method of consumption.  Smoking or vaping cannabis can act on the body and relieve debilitating symptoms in 10 to 15 minutes, unlike the response time after ingesting oils, capsules or edibles products, which range from 60 to 90 minutes.

"The potential benefits of medical cannabis, combined with growing public interest in this plant, provides the government with an opportunity to be proactive and include an exemption in the law for the use of medical cannabis," says Antoine Roussel, spokesperson for CFAMM in Québec. "This will not only rightfully recognize the rights of medical cannabis patients but will also help in removing the social stigma around medical cannabis use."

CFAMM is asking all Quebecers to help defend patients' rights by telling the Quebec government to allow the use of medical cannabis in public places where smoking is permitted. Click the link below and sign the petition today!

https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-7639/index.html

About Bill 2

Introduced in the National Assembly in December 2018, The Government of Quebec's Bill 2 would raise the legal age to purchase, possess and consume cannabis from 18 to 21. The bill also prohibits smoking cannabis in all public spaces across the province.

About Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana 

Founded in 2014, Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) is a federal non-profit, non-partisan, patient-run organization dedicated to protecting and improving the rights of medical cannabis patients. CFAMM's goal is to enable patients to obtain fair and safe access to medical cannabis with a special focus on affordability. For more information, visit www.cfamm.ca.

SOURCE Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM)

Dan Goulet, Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM), 416-729-5251, [email protected], https://cfamm.ca/