Eligibility
In order to become a member of the BCCCS, applicants must submit
a confirmation of their diagnosis. Depending on the
medical condition, a recommendation for the use of
cannabis might also be required.
We ask that your health care practitioner (physician,
naturopath, or doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine) complete our
Practitioner’s Statement, and
fax it to us directly from her/his office. The BCCCS will also
accept
Health Canada's
MMAR authorizations. While many practitioners recognize the effectiveness
of cannabis as a medicine, we realize that there are some who still
may feel uncomfortable recommending cannabis or even completing the
form. Some of them may fear professional repercussions or may not
feel that they have enough knowledge about this herbal
medicine.
The BCCCS has endeavored to make our
forms as
undaunting as possible. The practitioner is asked
to confirm their patient's diagnosis, and whether they
recommned the use of cannabis. If they
indicate that they do not recommend the use of Cannabis,
they are asked for the reason - legal,
medical, or other. Depending on the condition (see below * ), a
confirmation of diagnosis may
be sufficient for membership, as long as the reasons
stated for not recommending cannabis use are not of a medical
nature.
We will work with potential members to meet our requirement for
proper documentation. The BCCCS can help you find resources you can
share with your doctor relating to a
particular
condition or
symptom. A
Release of
Information form can be signed and given to your doctor to
encourage them send a confirmation of your medical
condition, even if they will not fill in our form.
Additionally, you can take full responsibility for your decision to
use cannabis and release your medical
practitioner from any potential liability by providing
a
Release Form for
Medical Practitioners to your practitioner In order to maintain the confidentiality of our members and
their health care providers, we are not able to refer you to
doctors who have signed statements in the past. There
are many compassionate doctors out there, and we
encourage you to keep trying.
After we have received the necessary documentation
from your practitioner, and it is confirmed, you will
have met the criteria for membership. You will automatically be
placed on a waiting list for a membership
registration and orientation
appointment. As a result of the demand for the club's services, the current
waitlist for an intake appointment is about a two weeks. If the
applicant is in the terminal or critical stage of their illness,
their membership can be processed more
quickly. Please understand that everyone on
the waiting list is in need of this medicine and we are doing our
best to accommodate everyone. We appreciate your patience.
* Conditions for which confirmation of diagnosis
only is accepted:
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