The #CoverCannabis Project: The Sarnia Journal

“The unjust part of it is that we have guidelines to switch people off opiates, and patients want to do this. But when they have to choose between groceries or medication that is covered – but possibly more harmful – they usually go for the medication that’s covered.”

Huge thanks to the Sarnia Journal for helping to raise awareness of the #CoverCannabis movement. We’re really starting to gain some momentum and are grateful to everyone who is helping us spread the word and sharing their own stories. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your experience on social, e-mail me at info@pearsonhealth.com and we can help you share it anonymously. These are the stories that will make change happen.

Full article available here.

The #CoverCannabis Project: Global News Interview with Patient Kelly

I challenge anyone to listen to my patient Kelly’s story and explain why her medical cannabis should not be covered. Full interview here: https://bit.ly/3ao2lPw 

Kelly went from taking 17 drugs, including heavy narcotics like fentanyl, percocet, and oxycontin, sleeping pills like zopiclone, and biologic medications that suppress the immune system, to just her thyroid medication and her medical cannabis.

Not only is it much safer to be on fewer medications - there’s a huge cost benefit to insurers.

Cannabinoid therapy is saving Kelly’s private insurance provider thousands of dollars a year, now that she’s on SIXTEEN fewer covered meds. Not to mention the direct cost savings to #OHIP through reduced doctor visits and avoiding the hospital due to potential drug interactions. But despite all this, she has to pay out-of-pocket for the only therapy that has ever worked. 

Someone please explain this to me. Or better yet, public and private policymakers, please contact me to shed some light on this for you. Truly - I’d be happy to collaborate with you.

The #CoverCannabis Project: Global News Interview with Mike Stubbs

I was thrilled to be invited onto London Live with Mike Stubbs to chat about our #CoverCannabis Project.

Listen to the full interview here.

When you’re in the midst of a pandemic, other important issues don’t get a lot of attention. The problem is, they’re still there and in this case, the pandemic has exacerbated the problem by increasing many of the symptoms for which people need cannabinoid medicines AND making it harder to attain due to the financial stress the pandemic has imposed on so many Canadians.

Mike and I chat about this and more on his show. Click on the link below to hear our full conversation.

Thank you all for your continued support for this movement! Keep sharing your stories using hashtag #CoverCannabis and sharing our posts. If we make enough noise, we will make change.

United Nations Approves WHO Recommendations to Reschedule Cannabis In Historic Vote

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw

I thought of this quote as I read the news last week about the United Nation’s historic vote on rescheduling cannabis.

In case you missed it: Late last week, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) accepted a World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

The historic vote in Vienna could have far-reaching implications for the global medical cannabis industry, ranging from regulatory oversight to scientific research into the plant and its use as a medicine.

The vote carries broad symbolic significance for medical cannabis. Now that the CND tacitly acknowledges the medical utility of the drug, it could encourage countries to reevaluate how cannabis is classified on their own lists of narcotic drugs, potentially paving the way for more research into its use as a treatment for a variety of conditions.

Read the full article by clicking HERE.