Truth Seeker
New Member
The federal government might be waging a war on marijuana, but medical cannabis has taken another step towards legitimacy in the province thanks to Alberta Health Services.
The Sheldon Chumir Health Centre recently opened a vapour lounge for Health Canada card (MMAR) holders, a room where patients can exchange information about their medicine and socialize.
Lisa Kirkman is a spokesperson for the Calgary MMAR Patient Support Group and tells 660News the move by Alberta Health Services is significant.
"AHS sticking their neck out, especially in" (Prime Minister Stephen) "Harper's backyard, what it does is it says that Canadians in general -- Albertans, definitely -- recognize that medical cannabis therapies are legitimate," says Kirkman. "It's one thing to have a federal government that is providing a program because they've been sued and they have to. It's another thing to have AHS provide this program because they feel this is something Albertans need."
Kirkman notes while it's a significant development in addressing the stigma that surrounds medical marijuana in Alberta, it's not precedent setting. She's previously been allowed to use medical cannabis during hospital stays.
"If I'm 100 per cent legal to use my medicine anywhere in Canada, why wouldn't I be able to have what we call a vapour lounge in an AHS facility?," Kirkman muses. "Because as I said I've already done it, both in Peter Lougheed and Medicine Hat Hospital."
The vapour lounge at the Chumir Centre is equipped with a variety of makes of vapourizers, which -- unlike marijuana cigarettes -- turns the crystals and resins from dried marijuana into a gas.
"They" (the vapourizers) "heat the plant material up to the point where the active ingredients, the resins on the plant, are vapourized" (and) "turned into a gas," says Kirkman. "Then they're either inhaled through a tube or they're blown into a food-safe bag, and then you inhale the vapours out of that bag. So there's no smoke involved whatsoever."
In the end, Kirkman says the vapour lounge is a win-win situation for not only the patients but for Alberta Health Services.
"If we can get these people together, people who socialize and get out more, people with chronic illnesses, they access the health-care system less later on," she notes. "And that's just a proven fact. So I went to AHS with that. And that's actually what they most appreciated."
The vapour lounge is only open to medical marijuana patients with valid Health Canada cards every second Wednesday.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: 660news.com
Author: Pete Curtis
Contact: 660News - Contact Us
Website: Medical Marijuana takes another step towards legitimacy in Alberta - 660News
The Sheldon Chumir Health Centre recently opened a vapour lounge for Health Canada card (MMAR) holders, a room where patients can exchange information about their medicine and socialize.
Lisa Kirkman is a spokesperson for the Calgary MMAR Patient Support Group and tells 660News the move by Alberta Health Services is significant.
"AHS sticking their neck out, especially in" (Prime Minister Stephen) "Harper's backyard, what it does is it says that Canadians in general -- Albertans, definitely -- recognize that medical cannabis therapies are legitimate," says Kirkman. "It's one thing to have a federal government that is providing a program because they've been sued and they have to. It's another thing to have AHS provide this program because they feel this is something Albertans need."
Kirkman notes while it's a significant development in addressing the stigma that surrounds medical marijuana in Alberta, it's not precedent setting. She's previously been allowed to use medical cannabis during hospital stays.
"If I'm 100 per cent legal to use my medicine anywhere in Canada, why wouldn't I be able to have what we call a vapour lounge in an AHS facility?," Kirkman muses. "Because as I said I've already done it, both in Peter Lougheed and Medicine Hat Hospital."
The vapour lounge at the Chumir Centre is equipped with a variety of makes of vapourizers, which -- unlike marijuana cigarettes -- turns the crystals and resins from dried marijuana into a gas.
"They" (the vapourizers) "heat the plant material up to the point where the active ingredients, the resins on the plant, are vapourized" (and) "turned into a gas," says Kirkman. "Then they're either inhaled through a tube or they're blown into a food-safe bag, and then you inhale the vapours out of that bag. So there's no smoke involved whatsoever."
In the end, Kirkman says the vapour lounge is a win-win situation for not only the patients but for Alberta Health Services.
"If we can get these people together, people who socialize and get out more, people with chronic illnesses, they access the health-care system less later on," she notes. "And that's just a proven fact. So I went to AHS with that. And that's actually what they most appreciated."
The vapour lounge is only open to medical marijuana patients with valid Health Canada cards every second Wednesday.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: 660news.com
Author: Pete Curtis
Contact: 660News - Contact Us
Website: Medical Marijuana takes another step towards legitimacy in Alberta - 660News
