摘要：Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug worldwide, with prevalence rates in North America exceeding the global average. (1) In the United States, 13.5% of those 12 years of age and older reported past year use in 2015, (2) whereas 11% of those 15 years and older in Canada reported such use in 2013. (3) In the past, much of the attention on cannabis focused on the recreational nature of use. However, more recent changes to laws and regulations in Canada and parts of the US have increased access to cannabis for the treatment of various medical conditions. (4) Since 2001, Canada has had various regulations for medical access to cannabis. More recent regulations include, for example, the 2013 Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) that allowed commercial producers licensed by Health Canada to supply cannabis to adults with medical authorization to use it. (5) This required that therapeutic users obtain a written authorization for cannabis use from a health care practitioner that clearly stated the period of authorization and the quantity of product for daily use. (6) As of August 2016, the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulation (ACMPR) replaced the MMPR. The ACMPR includes the aforementioned licensed commercial producers and suppliers of cannabis and the need for medical authorization that were included within the MMPR, and also allows for individuals to produce limited amounts of cannabis for their own therapeutic use, or to designate someone to produce cannabis for them. (5) Additional regulations governing therapeutic cannabis use are also included within the ACMPR.
