Since 1999, the Montreal Compassion Centre has helped seriously ill people relieve their suffering through the medicinal use of marijuana as well as offer information.

These past few years, many studies have confirmed what people have known for over 5,000 years; that marijuana truly has practical therapeutic value. In only a few years, we have witnessed a true societal debate on this subject in many western countries.

On one hand, you have the medical 'establishment', which refuses to recognize the therapeutic qualities of marijuana until they have been experimented and approved using current scientific and business methods, even though just 70 years ago, marijuana was commonly found in many pharmaceutical preparations.

On the other, you have gravely ill patients who have found relief from marijuana that they cannot get from chemical products. In Canada, marijuana’s therapeutic values are not yet recognized even though drugs like heroin can be legally prescribed by physicians.

However, under public and judicial pressure, Health Canada decided to include an exemption to the Canadian narcotics law which would exceptionally allow some people to consume marijuana to help relieve serious ailments for which it has been shown to be beneficial.

In April 2000, health minister Allan Rock even announced a broadening of the regulations for this bureaucratic authorization.

Unfortunately, this announcement has only managed to cause an even greater confusion for patients, the authorities and the general public, althought the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is supported by over 90% of Canadians (National Post, May 2000).