Announces new website (PatientAccess.ca), strategic priorities and board composition

TORONTO, June 2, 2020 – Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) / Canadiens por l’accès equitable à la marijuana médicale (CAEMM) is pleased to announce its name change to Medical Cannabis Canada (MCC) / Cannabis Médical Canada (CMC) and website, PatientAccess.ca. With the medical cannabis landscape constantly evolving in Canada, our new name reflects the changing needs of patients and a renewed commitment to advancing the treatment and patient outcomes in Canada.

MCC remains a national non-profit, volunteer run organization with over 16,000 patients, allies, and stakeholders in our network. The organization’s mission is to advance the outcomes of all medical cannabis patients and ensure they can access their treatment safely, equitably and with the support of health care professionals.

“Every medical cannabis patient is different, has different needs, and faces different barriers. We must come together as a community to support one another and address the multitude of issues medical cannabis patients continue to bear,” said Gerald Major, Board Chairperson. “Our first priority is engaging patients, allies, and stakeholders even more and we will be creating and launching more opportunities to have your voice heard, volunteer, and take action.”

According to Statistics Canada, over one million Canadians use Cannabis for medical purposes, however, Health Canada’s Canadian Cannabis survey reports that only 27 per cent of those who used cannabis for medical purposes said they did so with a document from a healthcare professional. Regulatory barriers are preventing patients from accessing medical cannabis through the legal regulated market, diverting them into the illicit product stream. 

The Cannabis Act and medical framework are coming up for review starting in 2021, which will provide an opportunity for MCC to push forward foundational changes to break down these barriers and improve the legal regulated medical cannabis stream. In order to support these changes, our key priorities will focus on the following:

  • Expanding access points to medical cannabis through pharmacy distribution, in addition to existing mail delivery options 
  • Affordability, with a focus on eliminating excise duty, HST/GST and PST (in applicable provinces) and pushing for the expansion of benefits coverage 

Achieving change in these two areas is essential to expanding safe and reliable ways for patients to access medical cannabis as well as reducing their treatment costs. What’s more, these changes will ensure increased access to health care professionals and guidance on contraindications, and legitimacy alongside other medically authorized medications. 

The new MCC board composition brings directors dedicated to patients and equipped with extensive experience in legal, communications, government relations and public affairs, healthcare and advocacy fields, the majority of whom are patients themselves: 

Gerald Major, Best Medicines Coalition Board Member – Chairperson
Deepak Anand, Materia Ventures – Vice-Chair
Vijay Sappani, Ela Capital – Treasurer
Trina Fraser, Brazeau Seller – Governance Committee Lead
Omar Khan, Hill & Knowlton Strategies
Max Monahan-Ellison, Proof Strategies 
Esther Ferreira, Lawyer

For more details on the board of directors, visit PatientAccess.ca/BOD/

About Medical Cannabis Canada

Medical Cannabis Canada (MCC) is a national non-profit patient advocacy organization whose mission is to advance the outcomes of all medical cannabis patients and ensure they can access their treatment safely, equitably and with the support of health care professionals. Formerly known as Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM), MCC was founded in 2014 and has over 16,000 patients, allies, and stakeholders in it’s network. For more information, visit PatientAccess.ca

Contact: [email protected]