Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. At Veterans Affairs the message has been consistent: Any service member who has developed any illness or injury as a result of their service can apply. That includes if they believe that mefloquine is a cause of their illness or injury. We don't compensate for cause

Veterans Affairs committee  Again, we don't award for cause. It could be any cause. Again, these veterans served in a special duty area, and all they need is a record of having deployed and a confirmed diagnosis by their treating physician, and that's enough for us to give them a disability award.

Veterans Affairs committee  Our policy is to reimburse. My main concern is the well-being and the safety of the veterans.

Veterans Affairs committee  When there is a substance that has no proven effect—

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes.

Veterans Affairs committee  It is. The specialists are not willing, because there is no evidence. They're not willing to provide that authorization to their patients, because their concern is for the well-being of their patients. I cannot force—

Veterans Affairs committee  We have heard their stories. That's why we have taken anecdotal evidence into account. Even though we know that anecdotal evidence is not scientific evidence, the lack of evidence in the literature right now does not mean there is no evidence.

Veterans Affairs committee  That's why, with the anecdotal evidence and the best scientific evidence available, we landed on three grams, which is twice the amount of what Canadians are using now for medical purposes, as released in today's Health Canada report, the survey on cannabis—

Veterans Affairs committee  Right now we have the best with the evidence we have. If good, solid clinical research comes about that looks at any positive effect of ingesting cannabis in any form you want, and a change in symptoms or positive outcome, we will take that into consideration. But that will need

Veterans Affairs committee  We do.

Veterans Affairs committee  I can't right now.

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, it's more, because people take way more medication than they use cannabis.

Veterans Affairs committee  As I mentioned to your colleague here, we did look at that. We did not see a decrease.

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, but all pharmaceuticals are not all for mental health problems, so we—

Veterans Affairs committee  We didn't see a concomitant decrease with—