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Of those surveyed, a resounding 93.7% of respondents claimed they experienced an improvement in their condition with cannabis therapy, with 18% of respondents noting that they have ceased or reduced their consumption of opioids.

Reducing costs and promoting an improved quality of life

Further research has been published supporting the same rhetoric, specifically in Current Oncology, a Canadian cancer research journal. Academics in this study focused on cannabis therapy in oncology, asserting that cannabis can manage multiple symptoms, reducing the costs of medication, improving quality of life, and reducing overall polypharmacy.

As for Canadians, health care spending varies across the country, however, the costs of drugs for the average Canadian hovers around $1,086 yearly according to 2016 data published by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. That number is predicted to grow at a faster rate than the costs Canadians incur from hospitals and physicians. As the costs of healthcare continue to climb, medication to reduce costs is likely an attractive option for patients pinching pennies to maintain their health.

A changing perspective on cannabis

The stigma attached to cannabis remains firm, especially for those who have once tried cannabis in their younger days and see it as merely a means of entertainment in their youth. But the fact remains that elderly patients are burdened by an extensive regime of expensive prescription medicine. There are winds of change flowing across the globe, and medical cannabis is being embraced not just in North America, but the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany as well.

With recreational legalization slated for the Fall, cannabis usage is set to become more widely accepted within society, and ultimately embraced by the patients who need this medicine. However, there remains a solid need for education on the topic of medical cannabis.

The public’s appetite for cannabis education continues to grow, and it’s important that those who are curious to try cannabis, make informed decisions and understand the differences between a recreational user, and a medical cannabis patient. Sail Cannabis offers a gateway for anyone looking to leverage the therapeutic benefits of cannabis find their own state of wellness guided by health professionals, with support and collaboration from like-minded patients.

Cannabis doesn’t have to be complicated; Sail Cannabis offers simplicity.

Prad Sekar is the CEO of Sail Cannabis.