Thank you, Mr. Chair, for that question. That's a question that actually the task force on cannabis legalization considered in its deliberations on the medical access system given the input and feedback that it received from patients and advocates about whether there couldn't be a separate pathway considered in order to be able to authorize these drugs, or a different way to do it. I think that after careful consideration and deliberation, the task force came to the conclusion that the system that exists now can work, that the government should do what it can to encourage research, including by making the changes that it is making through this legislation, which would encourage research at the preclinical or clinical level and at universities, or research that might be funded by licensed producers. The system that we have works, and by encouraging research, we will probably see increased research in those areas that will lead to market authorization for cannabis in its dried or other forms.
On September 15th, 2017. See this statement in context.