It’s an alternative to the growing problem in Canada, prescription drugs. In 2014 alone 21.7 million prescriptions were dispensed in Canada, putting us as the second-highest consumer in the world. Canada has become the second largest consumer of prescription opioids, with a 203-percent increase between 2000 and 2010.
Opioids are traditionally used to treat chronic pain, a problem that millions of Canadians suffer from, and can also be treated with cannabis. In response to these statistics launched Plants Not Pills. The organization connects patients with cannabis-trained physicians willing to consider medical marijuana as an alternative to prescription medication.
Thanks to the introduced MMPR Act or also known as Marihuana for Medical Purpose Regulations, which allows physicians to prescribe medical marijuana for over three dozen medical conditions. Rather than inhaling it, they promote ingesting cannabis as a cookie, candy, oil, or even a capsule.
Andrea Scrag, cannabis coach at Plants Not Pills, says the mission is the lower the number of people taking opioids from pain and help understand the various uses of cannabis.
“There are many things cannabis can be used for and we are trying to educate people on that…..Ive seen 21-year olds prescribed fentanyl patches for pain, when you can you put a drop of a CBD oil in your smoothie and receive the same relief without the addictiveness.”
As marijuana legalization legislation is set to be introduced in the spring, one the of many recommendations from the Canadian Marijuana Task Force was to issue more research to the medical uses of marijuana, and educate doctors and citizens of the many potential uses.
