What Is a Cannabis Clinic?

Cannabis clinics are designated health care centres that specialize in the prescription of medical marijuana.  Healthcare providers at cannabis clinics work with patients experiencing a wide range of conditions to determine if cannabinoids are the most appropriate form of treatment and what type of cannabinoid treatment may be optimal for their individual circumstances.  Cannabis clinics have a full staff including physicians and health educators or counselors, all with expertise in the field of medical marijuana.

Since many general practitioners do not have the training or background to comfortably prescribe marijuana or cannabinoid products, cannabis clinics represent an important and valuable resource in the Canadian health care landscape.  Most major Canadian cities have at least one cannabis clinic and, due to ongoing and increased demand, many cities continue to open new clinics.

Cannabis clinics are generally not available to the public on a walk-in basis; patients typically require a referral from a family physician.  Clinic visits are, however, covered under provincial health care plans and there should not be a fee associated with the visit.  A patient simply needs to bring their health card as they would for any other medical visit.

At a cannabis clinic, you can expect a consultation and physical exam with a doctor to determine if cannabinoids are the treatment best suited for you.  Patients may also receive an educational session from an educator or counselor to learn more about the overall process of obtaining and using medical marijuana.

If the clinic physician finds that cannabinoids represent an appropriate treatment plan, you receive a medical document similar to a prescription. The medical document outlines the type, dosage, and duration of cannabis use.  It should be emphasized that cannabis clinics do not actually dispense marijuana or cannabinoid products; they provide the medical document in order for patients to legally obtain marijuana from a licensed producer (LP).

Once you get a medical document from a cannabis clinic, you fill your prescription by sending the medical document to an LP of your choice.  The LP will then courier the marijuana or cannabinoid products to your door.  Patients generally have ongoing follow-up visits at their cannabis clinic to track how well the medical marijuana is working and renew their medical document when needed.