Pubdate: Sat, 18 Jul 2015
Source: Recorder & Times, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Recorder and Times
Contact: http://www.recorder.ca/letters
Website: http://www.recorder.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2216
Author: Sabrina Bedford
Page: A1

MARIJUANA OPTIONS WELCOMED

Patients Can Consume, Possess Oils, Edibles

"Smoking is one way (to ingest the medicine), but it's not the 
recommended way. There will now be other options in terms of being 
able to offer capsules or oil in pills, which is much closer to what 
a pharmaceutical product would look like." Mark Zekulin

SMITHS FALLS - An area producer of medical marijuana says a recent 
Supreme Court ruling giving patients the right to consume marijuana 
in all its forms is a victory on many levels.

Previous to the ruling, medical marijuana users could only legally 
consume the substance in its dried form, but the unanimous Supreme 
Court decision will allow patients to possess and consume other forms 
of the medicine such as cannabis-infused edibles, oils and tea - 
options preferable for some to simply smoking the product, says Mark 
Zekulin, president of Smiths Falls-based Tweed Inc., a producer of 
medical marijuana.

"Smoking is one way (to ingest the medicine), but it's not the 
recommended way," said Zekulin.

"There will now be other options in terms of being able to offer 
capsules or oil in pills, which is much closer to what a 
pharmaceutical product would look like."

In its ruling, the country's highest court found that the 
"prohibition of non-dried forms of medical marihuana limits liberty 
and security of the person in a manner that is arbitrary and hence is 
not in accord with the principles of fundamental justice."

Zekulin said the benefits of oil aren't necessarily better than 
ingesting the medicine in other forms, but the ruling is more a case 
of providing more consumer choice.

"It's not so much the oil has different effects, but the way you 
ingest the medicine can," he said.

"Smoking or vaporizing has a quick onset and will have an immediate 
effect. If you're consuming it in an edible form, or an oil form, 
it's being taken into the system in a different way.

"It's so important for patient choice, because if you're dealing with 
epileptic seizures, you need fast onset. If you're dealing with a 
chronic pain, you might want an oil to ingest for a steady medicinal effect."

The ruling doesn't mean medical-marijuana companies can actually sell 
edibles, however.

"It's unfortunate because we're in a chocolate factory," said 
Zekulin, noting how Tweed set up in the town's former Hershey's plant.

"But we can sell the oils. Before, patients had to buy the flowers 
and make their own oils and make their own edibles. If they want to 
consume it in an edible format, they can essentially use the oils 
like they would a canola oil for example in their products so it 
certainly gets them a step ahead."

In the case R v. Smith, the court took on the question of "whether a 
medical access regime that only permits access to dried marihuana 
unjustifiably violates the guarantee of life, liberty and security of 
the person contrary to section 7 of the Charter."

"The British Columbia courts ruled it did, and we agree," the Supreme 
Court judgment read.

The ruling indicated that the restrictions placed on medical 
marijuana users were subsequently detrimental and unnecessary. 
"Inhaling marihuana can present health risks and is less effective 
for some conditions than administration of cannabis derivatives," the 
ruling stated.

This sentiment was echoed by Zekulin, who added the decision is 
two-fold - not only does the ruling provide more consumer choice for 
patients, but it alleviates a lot of questions on the medical side of 
the issue.

"Doctors aren't used to seeing medicine in a dried flower form. The 
ability to now have it in oils or have it in capsules will make 
doctors more comfortable with the system."

"One of the key things for Tweed is to get out and educate doctors. 
There is a good amount of research out there. There are clinical 
trials. At the end of the day, we see the patients and they say this 
has really changed their lives."

Zekulin said they plan to start producing oil in the 
168,000-square-foot-plant as soon as possible.

"Once the regulator comes and inspects where the extraction will 
occur, and how we're going to do it, we can begin extracting and 
begin selling that product to our patients."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom