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Medicinal Cannabis Resource Centre Incorporated has been operating for a little over a month in Kamloops. The centre is a private organization that offers guidance for the use of medicinal marijuana for patients suffering from serious medical conditions.
Patients are referred to the clinic by their doctors, and medical professionals on site provide advice on whether cannabis will work for their specific condition and which strains of the drug could be suitable. Once that is established, patients receive their dosage in the mail.
President and Founder of MCRCI Terry Roycroft, says there is a large difference between recreational marijuana and the strains prescribed for medicinal purposes.
“Quite a few strains are becoming available that have virtually no THC in them. So it’s not going to be beneficial for a recreational user to use because they want the high,” said Roycroft. “For instance, a child that we’re giving oil to for epilepsy, we’re using the strain that has virtually no THC in it.”
Roycroft added the new Trudeau government is good news for research into the medical benefits of cannabis.
“The Conservatives had a lock down and anytime there was a Supreme Court ruling or there was something to be beneficial they were squashing it. Trudeau is willing to open it up which, in turn, allows the physicians and the College of Physicians to feel more comfortable about going down this path. There’s more funding becoming available for studies and research,” said Roycroft.
MCRCI currently operates in Vancouver, Kamloops, and Montreal. They hope to open a second clinic in Kamloops in the near future.
The clinic also hopes to benefit from a proposed grow operation in Kamloops, which is being spearheaded by local neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Brownlee. The project has already been supported by the city but is awaiting government approval.