Medical marijuana rules from College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. worrisome to some doctors

Some B.C. doctors are concerned that the forthcoming guidelines for prescribing medical marijuana will cut off care to a number of their patients.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. posted medical cannabis professional standards to its website outlining instances in which marijuana is not appropriate, such as prescribing it for patients under the age of 25 or those patients suffering from addiction.

Kelowna physician Kevin Kanerva is worried the new rules will be too restrictive and would exclude many of his patients.

"There's a lot of doctors, even such as myself, that are fearful of the college and the college rules because we feel they are against the concept of cannabis as a medicine," he says, "because we are using cannabis now to actually help some patients who are addicted to get off heroin, other narcotics."

The College of Physicians and Surgeons has since removed the document from its website and Kanerva hopes that means its reviewing the policies with input from B.C. doctors. 

A spokesperson for the college was not immediately available for comment.