Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee again this morning. I will ask for the committee's understanding. I've had a bit of a cold in the last few days, so my voice is not as good as on Monday, but I will do the best I can.
My colleague Mr. David Pellmann is responsible for the office of medical cannabis. As public servants, we are responsible for administering, on behalf of Health Canada, the current regulatory framework that enables Canadians to have access to cannabis for medical purposes.
I'd like to provide the committee with an overview of the regulatory framework, focusing on four areas. One is how the current framework is designed, how it works, and the number of Canadians who presently benefit from it. Two, I will outline the robust requirements and controls that apply to licensed production of cannabis, which are designed to protect public health and safety. Three, I will describe some of the key improvements that Health Canada has made to the program over the last six months. Finally, I will outline why and how this framework would be preserved under the proposed cannabis act that is before you.
Canada has had a system of access to cannabis for medical purposes in some form since the late 1990s. The regulatory regime was put in place following a court decision that determined that the Government of Canada must provide some lawful means for Canadians to access and possess cannabis for medical purposes. The framework has evolved considerably over time as the government has introduced improvements and has responded to a number of court challenges and decisions.
Most recently, in April 2016, the Federal Court determined that the regulatory framework that was in place did not provide individuals with reasonable access to cannabis for medical purposes. In this instance, “reasonable access” was defined as having access to available and affordable cannabis.
In response to this decision, a little over a year ago, Health Canada introduced a new regulatory framework, which is called the access to cannabis for medical purposes regulations. Under this new regime, Canadians who have the authorization of their health care practitioner can access cannabis in one of three ways. The first is by purchasing quality-controlled cannabis from a federally licensed producer, where individuals register directly with the licensed producer and the product is delivered securely to their home, either through the mail or by courier. Individuals also have the option to register with Health Canada to produce a limited amount of cannabis at home, or to designate someone to produce it for them.
As I mentioned, Canadians must have the authorization of their health care practitioner in order to access cannabis for medical purposes. Health Canada believes that the decision to use cannabis for medical purposes is one that is best made by a health care practitioner and his or her patient.
On its website, Health Canada provides information designed specifically for health care practitioners. The department also works closely with provincial and territorial regulatory authorities, which in turn provide guidance to the health care practitioners in their jurisdiction.
Health care practitioners are authorizing cannabis as a treatment for a wide range of symptoms associated with medical conditions, including nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy, loss of appetite and weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS, and pain and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and arthritis.
At this time, under the new regulations, there are more than 210,000 active authorizations for the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Of this number, 200,000 active registrations are with federally licensed producers, where individuals purchase their product directly from them, and 10,000 individuals are registered with Health Canada to produce a limited amount of cannabis at home, or to designate someone to do it for them.
The number of client registrations with licensed producers is continuing to grow, at a rate of approximately 9% a month, since licensed production began in 2013. The number of health care practitioners who are authorizing the use of cannabis has also grown steadily. There are now 10,000 health care practitioners authorizing use, which is double the number from June 2015.
I would now like to describe briefly the system of regulated production of cannabis in Canada. There are currently 58 producers who are licensed to produce cannabis for medical purposes. These producers are the only legal commercial source for regulated, quality-controlled cannabis for medical purposes in Canada.
The regulatory framework sets out a series of strict requirements that must be met to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the integrity of the legal system. For example, licensed producers are required to use good production practices in their facilities, such as a sanitary program and a dedicated person responsible for quality assurance. They must test each and every lot for mould, bacteria, and other potential contaminants before those products can be released for sale to the public. Licensed producers must also test each lot for THC and CBD potency, and those results must be displayed on the label.
In terms of preventing diversion to the illegal market and ensuring the integrity of the legal system, all licence holders, directors of a corporation, and senior personnel in the facility must have a security clearance. This security clearance involves a criminal record check as well as a law enforcement record check to identify any known associations or affiliations with organized crime. In addition, all facilities must have physical security and inventory control measures to prevent theft or diversion.
These standards and controls are backed by rigorous compliance and enforcement. Last year, Health Canada inspected each facility an average of seven to eight times, conducting roughly 275 inspections. These inspections verify that good production practices are being met, the test results for all products that are produced, that only authorized pesticides are being used, and review inventory records and the security control measures that are in place in the facilities.
I will also note that Canada's system of regulated production of cannabis is recognized internationally. We receive frequent visits and calls from other countries for advice on our patient-focused approach, strict licensing regime, and compliance and enforcement program.
I will now outline some recent improvements to help ensure that Canadians continue to have reasonable access to cannabis and can have confidence in the quality-controlled supply of cannabis for medical purposes. In May of this year, Health Canada announced it will require all licensed producers to conduct mandatory testing of all cannabis products for the presence of unauthorized pesticides. In addition, Health Canada is conducting unannounced inspections of all licensed producers and randomly testing lots and products for unauthorized pesticides. Also in May this year, Health Canada added additional resources and introduced a number of improvements to streamline the licensing of producers and enable increased production of cannabis, while maintaining quality control and oversight. These measures will also help ensure that a legal, quality-controlled supply of cannabis would be available should the proposed cannabis act be approved by Parliament.
The question of whether to retain a separate framework for access to cannabis for medical purposes was a key question the government asked the task force of experts on cannabis legalization and regulation to consider. The task force consulted broadly and extensively with experts in public health, law enforcement, patients and advocates, including the others who have joined me at the table today, as well as licensed producers. During these consultations, the task force heard how cannabis is making a difference to Canadians living with serious health challenges such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. It also heard about the role that cannabis can play in pain management and palliative care, and the relief that cannabis offers to children with severe forms of epilepsy. Based on its findings, the task force recommended the government maintain a separate medical access framework to support patients. It also recommended that the government monitor and evaluate patients' reasonable access during the implementation of this new legislation and evaluate within five years. The government has accepted the advice of the task force, and the proposed cannabis act that is before you will enable the framework to continue.
In closing, Mr. Chair, I wish to emphasize that Health Canada is committed to enabling Canadians to have reasonable access to cannabis for medical purposes. We will continue to monitor closely, as we do today, and be prepared to take additional measures if necessary. Finally, we will continue to seek the feedback of patients and producers to continuously improve how we administer, and ensure that Canadians are well served by, the program.
We would be happy to answer your questions. Thank you.