November

It is estimated that up to 8% of British Columbians have potentially significant chronic kidney disease (CKD). Many of these patients are also affected by heart disease and diabetes as CKD increases the normal risk of cardiac morbidity by 10 times. Fully 40% of patients on dialysis also have diabetes. 

References

In 1997, Nobel laureate Dr Michael Smith created Canada’s first genomic research centre dedicated to the study of cancer in British Columbia. 

At the time, genomics was still in development—it would be another 3 years before scientists decoded the human genome. British Columbians invested $24 million through the BC Cancer Foundation to establish Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at the BC Cancer Agency.

While Health Canada has delegated responsibility to physicians to recommend the use of cannabis for access to their legal program, it has clearly abdicated its responsibility to educate doctors to ensure their medical opinion is more informed than that of Dr Vroom [Medical marijuana. BCMJ 2010;52:329].

Ms Capler and Mr Lucas are correct about my lack of knowledge of marijuana pharmacology. Their recommended web site has, unfortunately, not educated me any further. 

The whole crux of my editorial was to acknowledge that I have no knowledge about all of the actions of the 60-plus cannabinoids contained in a joint, nor of their potency or concentration. That makes endorsing, let alone prescribing, a substance such as this problematic for me. 

When we asked for the Canadian Medical Protective Association’s position on the topic of prescribing marijuana, Luce Lavoie, the director of communications at the CMPA, directed us to their statement entitled, “Marijuana for medical reasons: The Medical Declaration form,” originally published October 2001, revised September 2009. Here is the introduction: