THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER 含羞草研究社� Not all medicinal marijuana is created equal. That含羞草研究社檚 what some experts are saying as they warn about the health risks and curtailed effectiveness associated with smoking medicine.

As medical pot becomes increasingly mainstream and Canada moves toward legalizing the substance, health experts are emphasizing the need for doctors and patients to consider the sometimes serious side effects linked to the various ways of consuming the drug.

Paul Farnan, an addictions specialist at the University of British Columbia, likened a recommendation to smoke medicinal marijuana to a doctor handing out a prescription to light up an opium pipe.

含羞草研究社淲e know there含羞草研究社檚 something in opium that helps pain, and we含羞草研究社檙e able to pharmaceutically develop morphine and other analgesics, but we wouldn含羞草研究社檛 say to people, 含羞草研究社榊ou have pain? Why don含羞草研究社檛 you smoke opium?含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e kind of saying to people, 含羞草研究社榃e think there含羞草研究社檚 some stuff that cannabinoids will be helpful for. Why don含羞草研究社檛 you just smoke cannabis?含羞草研究社� First of all, cannabis is actually a really dangerous thing for your lungs.含羞草研究社�

Mikhail Kogan, medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., said he sees no reason for people to smoke marijuana medically anymore.

It含羞草研究社檚 difficult to absorb enough of the drug through the lungs, and gastric acids interfere when someone eats it, he said, adding that it含羞草研究社檚 more effective to take the drug by other means, such as under the tongue.

含羞草研究社淩ectally is actually a lot more preferred because of the volume of absorption. You can put a lot more and it gets absorbed a lot better, but not everybody is open to this way of administration,含羞草研究社� Kogan said.

含羞草研究社淲e have so many other products now, so many modes of delivery, that smoking in my opinion is very archaic and has very little clinical applicability,含羞草研究社� he added.

含羞草研究社淗aving said that, I think that probably the majority of people still smoke because it含羞草研究社檚 the most available method.含羞草研究社�

Health Canada officially recommends against smoking marijuana.

含羞草研究社淢any of the chemicals found in tobacco smoke are also found in cannabis smoke,含羞草研究社� reads its website.

The Canadian Medical Association has no formal position on the consumption of medicinal pot, but it officially opposes the inhalation of any burned plant material.

Association spokesman Jeff Blackmer added that many physicians are reluctant to prescribe medical marijuana because of the absence of peer-reviewed research into whether the drug is medically effective, its possible side effects, appropriate dosage and more.

A 含羞草研究社渟trong majority含羞草研究社� of doctors would prefer not to be involved as so-called gatekeepers, Blackmer added.

含羞草研究社淢ost of them hate it,含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淭his is something that was imposed on us by the government and the majority of physicians do not want to have anything to do with it.含羞草研究社�

Debra Lynkowski, head of the Canadian Lung Association, urged patients and doctors to take lung health into consideration when discussing medicinal marijuana.

含羞草研究社淲hen you burn something, that combustion releases toxins and carcinogens, and they含羞草研究社檙e released regardless of what the source is,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淥ur primary concern with regard to that is just to be considering any kind of lung health implications.含羞草研究社�

Colette Rivet, head of the association that represents licensed cannabis producers in Canada, said that while the industry is against smoking medical marijuana, ultimately it can含羞草研究社檛 restrict what patients do.

含羞草研究社淲e know that there含羞草研究社檚 an issue with smoking. However, we can含羞草研究社檛 control it at the patient level,含羞草研究社� Rivet said.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e trying to develop new product forms so they would be more inclined to go away from that.含羞草研究社�

Each licensed producer has its own unique document that physicians fill out when prescribing medical marijuana, which includes a minimum amount of information required by Health Canada, Rivet said.

Beyond that, some companies ask whether a patient would prefer dried marijuana or oil, while others don含羞草研究社檛, she added.

A Health Canada spokesman confirmed that patients are in charge of requesting the form of medical marijuana they prefer, whether dry leaf or oil, and they are not restricted in how they wish to consume it.

The sale of edibles is banned, but a June 2015 decision from the Supreme Court of Canada ruled medicinal marijuana patients have the right to prepare their medication however they want, including cooking it.

含羞草研究社� Geordon Omand, The Canadian Press