The #CoverCannabis Project: Meet Sharon

Meet Sharon. She’s been struggling with IBS, insomnia and chronic pain for far too long. Medical Cannabis has been a game-changer for her quality of life, but like so many seniors on a fixed income, the cost is a strain. Please share & tag your local MP/MPPs if you support more coverage for medical cannabis. We can’t get this done without you!

Medical Cannabis and Long-Term Care

When assessing under what circumstances the Government and private insurers should #CoverCannabis, residents living in long term care facilities would be a great place to start. These people have been through so much over the last year--particularly those living with dementia, as the prolonged isolation and disruption to their routines can lead to increased behavioural and psychological symptoms. 

Medical cannabis offers a safe & effective multimodal medication that can improve quality of life amongst LTC residents in a range of medical scenarios, including dementia, chronic pain, insomnia and mental health--but the cost is precluding too many seniors from accessing this treatment. We must do better for our most vulnerable citizens.

Special thanks to my colleague Kelly Batson, Manager, Resident Care, Education and Operations at Steeves & Rozema’s Trillium Villa for her vision, leadership and sharing her experience.

Patient Testimonial - Jim | Chronic Pain

“I tried a little bit...and there’s just no looking back. It was probably one of the smartest things I ever did.” -- Jim

I’d like to introduce you to another one of my amazing patients who was kind enough to share his story to help educate others about the role cannabinoid therapy can play in managing chronic pain.

When Jim was referred to me, his pain was so severe that he wasn’t comfortable doing anything. Even sitting for a period of time was painful, so needless to say his quality of life was significantly affected. 

Cannabinoid therapy has been the only treatment that has made a difference in managing his chronic, severe pain. 

Patient Testimonial - Joyce | Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is the condition for which there is the largest body of evidence to support the use of cannabinoid-based medicines. With physicians and patients both increasingly interested in reducing or avoiding opioid therapy altogether, cannabinoids are a very reasonable option--and for some, can be life-changing.

You’ve heard me talk about the importance of working with a physician experienced with cannabinoid medicine if you feel you have a medical condition that may benefit from treatment. This is particularly important if you are currently on opioids or other heavy analgesics, so that we can work together to SAFELY wean your other medication(s).

I’ve successfully treated numerous patients like Joyce here, who is now better managing her chronic knee, hip and lower back pain and completely off her opioid therapy. It’s the best part of my job to see people get their quality of life back.