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“Our sense of this is that distribution within pharmacies is imminent,” said Brent Zettl, President and CEO of CanniMed.

“We think it’s not an ‘if’ it’s a ‘when’ question and to get ahead of that we need to start helping to educate the pharmacists.”

Zettl is confident that governments will have to open medical marijuana distribution channels due to the sheer number of medical marijuana patients in Canada, totalling more than 100,000, will require more options. Canaccord Genuity analysts have projected the medical marijuana market will grow to some 500,000 patients and be worth $1.8 billion by 2021.

Zettl said it’s important to have the deal in place ahead of any legislative changes so they’re not playing catch up both in production and education once pharmacy sales are legal.

Many doctors are reluctant to grant medical authorizations to patients seeking medical marijuana because they are unfamiliar with dosing, side effects and treatment types.

Meanwhile, illegal dispensaries have cropped up to fill a face-to-face experience void — arguing they are necessary because patients who receive authorization from a doctor to use marijuana are otherwise left on their own to figure out their treatment plan and dosing.

“We have to get health-care professionals woven into the process,” he said.

“There’s this pent-up need, patients are left without the professional guidance. We need more people educating the patients on what to do, how to use it, or what to watch for.”