A Winnipeg woman living with a spinal condition is preparing for a different approach to gardening thanks to new regulations from Health Canada.
Crystal Rondeau eats a piece of a marijuana cookie through a tube every day. She said it’s the only thing that gives her relief.
“As soon as I eat the marijuana, my pain can go from an eight to a zero,” Rondeau said.
Rondeau lives with a condition that affects the nerves that control her muscle movements.
“Basically, it feels like my muscles are on fire, and it feels like my bones are aching,” she explained.
Now, new regulations could change the way medical marijuana users like Rondeau access the drug. Health Canada announced last week that authorized marijuana users can now grow a limited amount of pot on their own.
Marijuana advocate Steven Stairs said these new rules are a step forward.
“I think this is a momentous victory for not only patients across this country but all Canadians, to now have the option to take their health care into their own hands and really have an option for a diverse cross-section of treatments,” Stairs said.
Mobility issues prevent Rondeau from growing pot herself, but she’s considering hiring someone to do it for her.
“For the people that can grow and know how to do it properly, it’s awesome. I think that it’s really beneficial for people who want to do that,” Rondeau said.
Currently there’s only one licensed marijuana dispensary in the province. Rondeau hopes that will change.
“It’s really expensive. I’m usually paying about $120 to get what I need,” she said.
Rondeau hopes stories like hers will urge the federal government to speed up legalization talks.
The new Health Canada regulations will come into effect on Aug. 24.
