Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The Sault's first Medical Marijuana Clinic has opened its doors, and business has been so good they've had to double their services.
The clinic, Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services, helps patients in acquiring medical marijuana prescriptions via teleconferencing with licensed doctors.
It does not have marijuana on site nor does it sell marijuana however patients who acquire a prescription through the clinic can work with them to get linked up to licensed cannabis sellers across Canada.
Bodystream opened their Sault location in early June.
Originally the clinic was holding clinic-days (days where a doctor is available) once every two weeks.
However, once word got out people flooded them with requests to see a physician and until last week wait times were up to six months.
Starting next week Bodystream is having weekly clinic-days every Monday, cutting wait times to up to three months and they hope in the future to cut them down even further.
The clinic said they've had no problems with local police and that, essentially, they operate just like any other medical clinic.
"Once people realize we are just a clinic like any other... they are going to find our clinic helps the community. We're not introducing cannabis or marijuana into the community - it's already there. We're just taking it away from the black market," said Brian Warner, CEO and co-owner of Bodystream.
However, since opening people have been walking in off the street trying to buy pot products.
Clinic Supervisor Drew Craig recalls a humorous encounter.
One day an elderly Italian lady that 'looked like you're typical grandma' came into the clinic.
"You got some of that CBD cream?" she asked, referring to a cannabis-derived cream used for pain relief and other ailments.
"No," he responded.
"Isn't this a dispensary?"
"No we're a clinic, there's a difference."
Here's how Bodystream works.
First patients contact the clinic through a doctor referral, by phone, or via e-mail.
Patients are required to provide proper medical documentation for whatever 'ailment, illness or disease' they have and they go through an initial screening process to make sure that seeing a physician is the right step for them.
Approved patients are then scheduled for an appointment.
Patients are required to take a urine test.
The urine test is used to screen for other drug use and the telephysician will use the results in determining whether or not a candidate should be prescribed marijuana.
When they do come in for their appointment, patients are brought into a room with a Macintosh computer on a desk and they then 'meet' with the physician via teleconferencing software, sort of like a Skype call.
By evaluating the patients' medical documents, intake form, and through conversation, the physician determines whether or not the patient should be prescribed medical marijuana.
If they are prescribed the drug, they can work with the clinic to be linked up with licensed medical marijuana providers (LPs).
If they choose to go with a clinic recommended LP they might get their marijuana faster however they can choose any LP they wish.
Patients with a valid OHIP card do not have to pay for the services.
So why go to the clinic when, theoretically, your local doctor could prescribe marijuana?
Warner said that other doctors may be reluctant to prescribe marijuana or they may not be as familiar with the paper work process.
"Many doctors may be opposed to prescribing cannabis but generally what we find is that... they're just not familiar with it. It would be asking them to prescribe a medication they know nothing about. Also, it's not the same as getting prescription for Tylenol 3. There is a lot of paperwork. Even if (these doctors) would prescribe it, it would be easier for both the patient and doctor if they referred to us because we can send the documents electronically," said Warner.
Warner said that the legal paperwork to acquire medical marijuana is more intensive then just a regular prescription.
Forms are usually required to be mailed in, taking weeks to process, and if there are even tiny mistakes on the forms it could mean that a patient will have to make another appointment with their physician and start the process again.
He said his company has established relationships with LPs that mean his clinic can electronically submit forms that usually get to LPs within hours.
"The documents get sent within an hour of seeing the doctor and the patient can typically order (marijuana) the day after the see us," he said.
Licensed providers are located across Canada and, once a patient has been linked up with them, orders are made by phone or via the web.
It is possible that once prescribed a medication, especially if they choose an LP in Ontario, patients could receive their marijuana in as fast as two days.
Bodystream opened its first clinic in 2012 and now runs 14 clinics across Ontario.
They have locations in the Sault, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, North Bay, Kirkland Lake, Barrie, Toronto, Belleville, Kingston, Ottawa, Peterborough , Hamilton, Cambridge, and London.
Warner said they will soon be opening clinics in Timmins, Kitchener, Windsor, and St. Catherines.
The clinic is funded through OHIP.
Although they don't sell marijuana, they do sell vaporizers for $199.
"(For health reasons) both us and Health Canada highly suggest to vaporize instead of smoking... It all depends on the person. Nine times out of ten (patients) are already taking (marijuana). There are very few patients that (come in) that haven't taken it before," said Craig.
The Bodystream clinic is located at 123 March Street on the fourth floor of the Soo Centre building.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana? This Place Will Hook You Up
Author: Jeff Klassen
Contact: Sault Ste. Marie News
Photo Credit: Jeff Klassen
Website: Sault Ste. Marie News
The clinic, Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services, helps patients in acquiring medical marijuana prescriptions via teleconferencing with licensed doctors.
It does not have marijuana on site nor does it sell marijuana however patients who acquire a prescription through the clinic can work with them to get linked up to licensed cannabis sellers across Canada.
Bodystream opened their Sault location in early June.
Originally the clinic was holding clinic-days (days where a doctor is available) once every two weeks.
However, once word got out people flooded them with requests to see a physician and until last week wait times were up to six months.
Starting next week Bodystream is having weekly clinic-days every Monday, cutting wait times to up to three months and they hope in the future to cut them down even further.
The clinic said they've had no problems with local police and that, essentially, they operate just like any other medical clinic.
"Once people realize we are just a clinic like any other... they are going to find our clinic helps the community. We're not introducing cannabis or marijuana into the community - it's already there. We're just taking it away from the black market," said Brian Warner, CEO and co-owner of Bodystream.
However, since opening people have been walking in off the street trying to buy pot products.
Clinic Supervisor Drew Craig recalls a humorous encounter.
One day an elderly Italian lady that 'looked like you're typical grandma' came into the clinic.
"You got some of that CBD cream?" she asked, referring to a cannabis-derived cream used for pain relief and other ailments.
"No," he responded.
"Isn't this a dispensary?"
"No we're a clinic, there's a difference."
Here's how Bodystream works.
First patients contact the clinic through a doctor referral, by phone, or via e-mail.
Patients are required to provide proper medical documentation for whatever 'ailment, illness or disease' they have and they go through an initial screening process to make sure that seeing a physician is the right step for them.
Approved patients are then scheduled for an appointment.
Patients are required to take a urine test.
The urine test is used to screen for other drug use and the telephysician will use the results in determining whether or not a candidate should be prescribed marijuana.
When they do come in for their appointment, patients are brought into a room with a Macintosh computer on a desk and they then 'meet' with the physician via teleconferencing software, sort of like a Skype call.
By evaluating the patients' medical documents, intake form, and through conversation, the physician determines whether or not the patient should be prescribed medical marijuana.
If they are prescribed the drug, they can work with the clinic to be linked up with licensed medical marijuana providers (LPs).
If they choose to go with a clinic recommended LP they might get their marijuana faster however they can choose any LP they wish.
Patients with a valid OHIP card do not have to pay for the services.
So why go to the clinic when, theoretically, your local doctor could prescribe marijuana?
Warner said that other doctors may be reluctant to prescribe marijuana or they may not be as familiar with the paper work process.
"Many doctors may be opposed to prescribing cannabis but generally what we find is that... they're just not familiar with it. It would be asking them to prescribe a medication they know nothing about. Also, it's not the same as getting prescription for Tylenol 3. There is a lot of paperwork. Even if (these doctors) would prescribe it, it would be easier for both the patient and doctor if they referred to us because we can send the documents electronically," said Warner.
Warner said that the legal paperwork to acquire medical marijuana is more intensive then just a regular prescription.
Forms are usually required to be mailed in, taking weeks to process, and if there are even tiny mistakes on the forms it could mean that a patient will have to make another appointment with their physician and start the process again.
He said his company has established relationships with LPs that mean his clinic can electronically submit forms that usually get to LPs within hours.
"The documents get sent within an hour of seeing the doctor and the patient can typically order (marijuana) the day after the see us," he said.
Licensed providers are located across Canada and, once a patient has been linked up with them, orders are made by phone or via the web.
It is possible that once prescribed a medication, especially if they choose an LP in Ontario, patients could receive their marijuana in as fast as two days.
Bodystream opened its first clinic in 2012 and now runs 14 clinics across Ontario.
They have locations in the Sault, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, North Bay, Kirkland Lake, Barrie, Toronto, Belleville, Kingston, Ottawa, Peterborough , Hamilton, Cambridge, and London.
Warner said they will soon be opening clinics in Timmins, Kitchener, Windsor, and St. Catherines.
The clinic is funded through OHIP.
Although they don't sell marijuana, they do sell vaporizers for $199.
"(For health reasons) both us and Health Canada highly suggest to vaporize instead of smoking... It all depends on the person. Nine times out of ten (patients) are already taking (marijuana). There are very few patients that (come in) that haven't taken it before," said Craig.
The Bodystream clinic is located at 123 March Street on the fourth floor of the Soo Centre building.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana? This Place Will Hook You Up
Author: Jeff Klassen
Contact: Sault Ste. Marie News
Photo Credit: Jeff Klassen
Website: Sault Ste. Marie News
