Pubdate: Fri, 11 Jul 2014
Source: Guelph Mercury (CN ON)
Page: A1
Copyright: 2014 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.guelphmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1418
Author: Alex Migdal

MEDICAL POT CENTRE TO OPEN IN GUELPH

Entrepreneur dispenses 'high-quality, low-cost' medical marijuana to
patients with chronic disabilities

GUELPH - It was only one year ago that Rade Kovacevic set up shop in
the Guelph Chamber of Commerce building to run his medical marijuana
business.

Now the entrepreneur and his two partners plan to open four "solution
centres" for MedCannAccess across southern Ontario, including one in
Guelph in August, to consult with patients.

The company, valued at $23 million, dispenses "high-quality, low-cost"
medical marijuana to patients with chronic disabilities. It will open
its first solution centre in July in Etobicoke. Guelph will follow
suit a month later with a location on the second floor of Old Quebec
Street Mall.

"We don't think that working with patients through an e-commerce
website or a call centre alone is the best way to provide patient
support around a medical product," Kovacevic said Thursday. Instead,
staff with a social services background will provide free 45-minute
consultations on site, he said.

Kovacevic, a medical marijuana user, said new patients are likely to
have questions about filling out complicated paperwork, safe modes of
ingestion and housing regulations, among other things. The centres
will be open to all patients.

The solution centres mark another milestone for MedCannAccess since
the biopharmaceutical company launched a year ago.

It achieved profit for the first time in March and has acquired $3.2
million in private investment. It employs 13 people, with six more
hires expected soon, Kovacevic said.

This success stands in stark contrast to Kovacevic's previous
marijuana-related venture, the Medical Cannabis Centre of Guelph,
which he oversaw on Baker Street for several years.

The centre produced and sold medical marijuana to those with Health
Canada permits or other supporting documentation.

Guelph police raided the facility in August 2010 after alleging it
sold to patients without proper permits.

Kovacevic and two others faced charges in court for producing,
possessing and trafficking controlled substances.

The Crown dropped the charges in 2012.

MedCannAccess is now hoping to capitalize on Health Canada's rewrite
of medical marijuana regulations in March 2014. The government snuffed
out individual licences in favour of permits to private companies.

Kovacevic said he's awaiting licensing under the new regulations,
which has paused service for about 1,800 patients.

The company already passed Health Canada's rigorous site inspection
for its two facilities in Guelph and Toronto.

"It could be tomorrow, it could be six months from now," Kovacevic
said about the "bottleneck" licensing wait.

In the meantime, MedCannAccess is conducting research into clinically
supported options outside of herbal cannabis.

Derivatives of marijuana aren't covered under new regulations and must
undergo clinical trials.

Kovacevic said they're trying to create products that are less
"stigmatizing" to patients. Options could include oral sprays and
topical creams. The business already recommends its patients use a
vaporizer to avoid carcinogens.

In June, MedCannAccess won the Innovation Guelph award against four
other finalists at the Guelph Awards of Excellence gala. 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D