Affordable Access: National Health Services

Salutations

Natural Health Services is a Canadian based chain of clinics and educational spaces that helped me get my Cannabis prescription with zero fees.  I am in no way affiliated with them or any cannabis companies- but I thought it might be useful to those without access to a family doctor with cannabis prescribing knowledge, or the resources to pay a referral fee.

I have written extensively about the process that led me to becoming a patient for medical cannabis used to treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis- if you want to check out any of my previous posts about the various stages, you can find a chronological history of appointments and research - HERE.

When I initially started searching for clinic, I was met with some up front costs that I couldn't afford, especially with re-occuring visits every few months- I was referred to two clinics who could meet my needs.  One was National Access Cannabis and the other was Natural Health Services- And the latter was able to book me an appointment within a week.

I filled out a quick confidential questionaire online- just outlining my current medications, a bit of a health profile they could use to assess me quickly and to disclose any history of psychosis or family mental health issues that might impact my treatment.

On the day of my appointment, I was cautiously optimistic- I wasn't sure whether there would be some unexpected treatment methods or odd requests for urinalysis like I was met with at the Cannaway Clinic here in Winnipeg.  But after only a few minutes I was ushered into another room.

Inside- a very polite and friendly prescribing nurse listened intently as I described my current ailments and history of cannabis use.  He seemed genuinely concerned about my health and made me feel like I had come to the right place, he spoke about how many M.S. patients had reported annecdotal relief with their practices.

We spoke about THC and CBD- how they work and how they would work as far as medical treatments and then said a doctor would be with me shortly.

Almost immediately I was seen by an easy going doctor who was able to assess the notes provided by my questionaire and the nurse practioner whom I just spoke with.  We talked about the specifics of my case and he was suggesting that CBD drops and vaporized THC could be utilized as part of my treatment plan.

Without getting in to too much detail, I now have a prescription for CBD oil, which I will take 3 times daily, and THC flower for acute relief of pain and to treat issues with insomnia.  I will meet with the doctor again in 3 months to discuss my treatment and see if these dosages are consistent with what I need and can adjust dosage appropriately at that time.

And one of the biggest take aways: I will be eligable to obtain a home growing permit if the treatment is showing promising results, which means AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO MEDICAL CANNABIS.
I am not a rich man.  My current prescription would cost me in excess of 750$/month if I were to purchase it from the recreational market here in Manitoba.

With the prescription I am able to register with a licensed producer ( LP ) and order directly from them- saving a lot of middle-man price increases. However, my final costs could still be well over 400$/month even including compassionate pricing discounts.  There ARE insurance plans out there, or veterens benefits that can conver the cost of some or all of your cannabis prescription costs, I'll touch on that in the next post.

PRICE WATCH- by Harvest Medical

When you are given a prescription for cannabis medication- you will usually be given some resources to help choose which licensed producers are available, how much you expect to pay in shipping / provincial excise tax- and any info that is pertinent to your decision making process.

When I was ready to make my decision- I called the customer help line and they were able to have my paperwork registered within the hour, where upon I received emails from the respective companies to finalize the registration process.  Registered friday night and heard back Monday morning- and now I am able to place orders online!~ that was a lot quicker than I expected

I ended up choosing 2 different LP's, which is the maximum you are allowed at any time. This ensures that you are able to have a consistent supply of medine, when companies might not have the availability you require, or are experiencing problems with production etc. But its a quick process to switch if you are unhappy with the service or just want to try something new.

Now for how to choose an LP? I'll help with some resources in the following piece- showing price comparisons between various companies- and maybe even some corporate values that you may share... or oppose.