Evidence of meeting #99 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was research.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Thank you.
Thank you both for being here.
Are you aware if the cannabinoid system is taught in medical school?
5 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes, like other systems, we're taught about it.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Now that it's legal, will you be doing more research on this as well?
5 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Actually, McMaster University just released an online webcast video for medical students on this, and this was at the request of the Ontario Medical Association. There is more and more interest in educating doctors and the population about these systems, yes.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
On a question from a veteran to me, he asked if you would recommend pharmaceutical drugs like antidepressants or marijuana.
Can you take that?
5 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes, antidepressants are the gold standard treatment for PTSD. We have treatments that have been well tested and well researched and we know work.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Would you say that it's more effective to use antidepressants versus marijuana?
5 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes. Again, we have evidence on it. We have no evidence on marijuana except we know that it can have a lot of deleterious effects, like causing psychosis.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Now that it's there, are you planning to invest more money in research to examine those benefits?
5 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Do you mean in antidepressants?
5 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
Again, this is the kind of research that certainly should be done. I don't know that it will be us, or maybe it will be us in partnership with some of the institutes now that are doing very good research, like McMaster, like the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
It would be great if you could submit those reports to the committee. That would be fabulous and it would help us.
Has VAC received any scientific information with regard to the possible health benefits of medical marijuana?
5 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
We've done all the review of literature. We've gone to the agencies that can do these reviews of literature for us, looking for evidence—
5 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
—of benefits.
5 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Yes, and again there has not been anything substantial.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Would you be open to meeting with companies that are doing research in this field?
5 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
We're meeting with academic institutes that are not linked with producers, with growers that have a financial.... We'd rather stick with academia.
5 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Are you doing any collaboration with other countries, such as the United States, Holland, or Australia, when it comes to medical marijuana in respect to veterans?
5 p.m.
Chief of Psychiatry, Health Professionals Division, Department of Veterans Affairs
We've certainly looked at research that has come out of places like Colorado where they've had this experience. It's interesting because I remember a couple of days ago on CBC radio they were talking about research that's been done there. Once these edible forms are introduced, which look like candy, they've had problems with children overdosing on them. We certainly are learning from the experience of some places like Colorado that have gone through this already.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
You're not working formally, though, with the Government of the United States or the Government of Australia in collaboration with companies.
5:05 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Through the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, it's an opportunity to exchange with them, to partner, and so we work closely with partners and allied nations that are all represented there.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Is it a priority for you to start those kinds of official talks, working collectively?
5:05 p.m.
Director General, Health Professionals Division, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Again, we can't do work on our own. Collaboration and partnership are essential, especially in this field.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Some groups believe that using cannabis for medical purposes can help reduce the use of other medications such as opioids for pain or drugs for insomnia and anxiety. To date, VAC has stated it can't draw any conclusions on this issue. Has the department noticed that correlation between higher medical cannabis reimbursements and lower use of other medications by these veterans?