I've had spinal cord cancer for 20 years, and I finally got my Health Canada "federal exemption" this May from the BC Cancer Agency. I use cannabis for chronic pain, neuropathy, muscle spasticity, autonomic dysfunction, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. I haven't used opiates in almost ten years and I want to keep it that way as long as possible.
One year ago, the bus I was in was trespassed on and illegally searched by police (RCMP). As I waited in the back of the cop car for them to search the bus, they were trying to scare me because they knew I was a cannabis user and assumed I had some.
They were taunting me with jail time
since I didn't have proper Health Canada paperwork (for the cannabis they thought they were about to receive). They only found a few grams of cannabis which my friend claimed possession of when he arrived on scene with his "paperwork". At that point, the cops began talking like "yes sir, no sir, no problem here, this was never about cannabis..."
I've been abused for being a cannabis user without prescription
many other times in life starting in my teen years when I first started using cannabis.
Friends
ostracized me for trying it and blamed any of my faults on its use
Friends' parents
threatened to tell my parents and teachers
Landlords
illegally evicted me for being a cannabis user (even if I never smoked on the property)
Relatives
blackmailed me for cannabis to try to evict me
Roommates
stole cannabis from me regularly
Volunteer organizations
would not let me join as a "recreational drug user"
Greyhound
threatened to either steal my cannabis or kick me off the bus in the middle of the night in winter, but luckily someone else sacrificed theirs first so I didn't have to
Vancouver PD
physically assaulted me and confiscated my belongings because I was medicating in public
Strangers
have followed me, called the police on me, or heckled me for toking at night in a hiding spot
College
could have expelled me at any time for being "high" on campus or in the dorms
Career prospects
are dismal now that I have a criminal record for something I could have avoided with this paperwork.
Better late than never...... doesn't make it any better.
socialized medicine, not only will we not get you better we will put you in jail if you make yourself better
At least this paper will help you with your goal of staying health and off opiates as much as possible. Maybe even forever, as medicine and technology advance. Opiates have serious downsides most doctors brush off. It's good that you found some competent and cooperative doctors! I'm happy :)
Happy for you - upvoted :)