In order to combat alleged exploitation of the medical cannabis access, Health Canada is implementing a personal and designated production program.
According to fresh information supplied with TOMORROW420, the number of personal and designated production registrations refused or cancelled through the first three-quarters of 2022 increased compared to calendar 2021. According to the federal regulator, efforts to address “misuse” inside the program have been stepped up.
A total of 732 registrations for the personal and designated production program were declined or cancelled between January 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022.
This number was 227 the year before, while in 2020, 154 registrations were rejected or canceled.
Even while there has been a noticeable increase in enforcement, the amount still only accounts for a small portion of the 35,754 personal and designated production registrations that were still in effect with Health Canada as of March 2022, the most recent time the data was updated.
Patients are permitted to grow a specific amount of medical cannabis for themselves or a designated person under Canada’s personal and designated production program.
A spokeswoman for Health Canada informed TOMORROW420: “Health Canada has witnessed a progressive and worrying increase in the average daily amount of cannabis for medical reasons being permitted by some health care practitioners for personal and designated production.”
For instance, Health Canada reported that the average daily dose of medicinal marijuana prescribed by doctors for patients who obtain their cannabis through businesses with federal licenses remained consistent at 2.1 grams per day.
The regulator did note that the typical daily permissible amount for personal and designated production is about 37 grams. Since the start of the personal and designated production program, Health Canada has rejected or canceled more than 1,430 registrations.
Health Canada expressed concern in an email that stated high daily authorized amounts “are concerned that high daily authorized amounts are, in some instances, leading to abuse of the access to cannabis for medical purposes framework and are undermining the integrity of a system that many patients rely on to access cannabis to address their medical needs.”
“High daily approved amounts may pose dangers to public health and public safety, including the risk of cannabis being diverted to the black market,” according to the statement. “Treatment options remain a decision best taken in consultation between a patient and their health care practitioner.”
Health Canada states that before a personal or designated production license is withdrawn, the registered person is first given a notice of intent to revoke and is given 30 days to make a defense.
By September 30, 2022, Health Canada had rejected or revoked more than 1,430 registrations, including more than 710 for reasons related to public health and safety.
