Quebec doctors will be able to prescribe cannabis

October 17th has come and gone and the legalization of cannabis is now a fact. The Collège des médecins du Québec revised its guidelines on the prescription of cannabis for medical purposes. Quebec doctors will be able to prescribe this drug outside a clinical research project, something they could not do since 2014.

In a document posted recently on its website, the professional order indicates that this update was necessary considering the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes, new scientific data and the end of the Quebec Cannabis Registry, a database of medical cannabis users. The organization also says it has considered "the likelihood of an increase in patient requests to physician to justify the reimbursement of cannabis for medical purposes by third-party payers, including insurers." The College of Physicians, however, invites its members to be cautious by issuing a prescription only if it is medically necessary. The physician must also ensure that the therapeutic benefits of a prescription of cannabis for medical purposes on the patient's health "outweigh the potential adverse effects and risks, including that of addiction". The explanatory document also states that "treatment should start with the lowest dosage possible and incremental increases should be handled with care".

In accordance with the Quebec law governing cannabis, owners of rental buildings have 90 days, from October 17^th, to unilaterally prohibit smoking cannabis in their homes. Only a tenant who holds a prescription for cannabis for a medical purpose may refuse this change to the lease. He must then notify his owner of his refusal within 30 days of receiving the notice of change.

If he/she does not believe this reason for refusal, the landlord may submit an application to the Régie du logement, which will decide whether the tenant's refusal for medical reasons is justified or not. A Matane tenant, allowed to smoke cannabis for medical reasons, saw his lease terminated following a court decision, because second-hand smoke had repercussions on the health of the other residents of the building.