Learning the ins and outs of medical marijuana is the focus of a seminar in Sooke this weekend.
The Education Seminar and Open Discussion on Medical Marijuana will be held at Sooke Community Hall on Saturday (June 3) at 4:20 p.m.
The free event is presented by 642 Cannabis Dispensary, a medical marijuana store in Sooke.
The seminar will discuss the ins and outs of medical marijuana, said Callum Wake, seminar organizer and owner of 642 Cannabis.
“There’s a lot of people who have questions and don’t feel comfortable talking to their doctor about marijuana or don’t know where to go or who to talk to,” he said.
Marijuana has been used to treat a diverse array of conditions, such as PTSD, epilepsy and arthritis. From general information about cannabis, as the plant is also called, to ways it can be turned into edibles, oils and tinctures, the workshop will cover all aspects of using marijuana as a medicine.
Guest speaker at the event is Sooke resident Kemal Evans, who has been a member of Health Canada’s medical marijuana program since its inception, and with more than a decade of experience in the field works internationally as a professional cannabis consultant, advising on production, safe preparations, methods of ingestion, dosages and strain specific conditions.
Marijuana is not an approved therapeutic substance in Canada, says Health Canada. Yet, Canadian courts have ruled the federal government must provide reasonable access to a legal source of marijuana for medical purposes.
“Cannabis isn’t all good,” Wake said. “We’ll be going over some of the benefits and the dangers, which a lot of people like to forget exist.”
But, he added, people come into his store with questions and answers on medical marijuana.
“The first thing we recommend is to find a doctor ready to talk about marijuana use,” Wake said.
“It all starts with education. The more we know then the veil of ignorance gets lifted.”