Hello Hermione,
I'm from Québec too and am currently a MMAR patient. I also went to medical school in Québec, so am familiar with the current state of things when it comes to cannabinoid therapy.
First, you should know the current science on cannabis is irrefutable and any Crohn's or UC patient that has used MMJ to treat the symptoms will tell you it works miracles.
I currently see Dr. Leduc at the CHUM, a GI specialist specialized in IBD (he has over 1200 patients with Crohn's or UC). He is not open to MMJ at all, I don't think he even recognizes the healing potentials of cannabinoids.
The reason is simple.
The science of cannabinoids is modern. The molecule was discovered in the mid 90s, and the mechanisms of action early 2000s. So any doctor that graduated medical school before 1995 and that doesn't keep up with the new scientific literature (which is many, many, many doctors. A staggering majority don't ever attend conferences or sharpen their skills over time unless it's paid for by a big corporation and it happens in Bermuda). So while Dr Leduc may be reputable at dispensing standard medicine for Crohn's, neither he, his two nurses or the IBD pharmacist support the use of MMJ.
I tried Salofalk, Mezovant, Asacol and all three failed, two of them causing major allergic reactions. Then I tried aza, an immunosuppressant, but it induced pancreatitis. The next logical step would be biologics, but the doctor is resisting.
So what to do?
First, the MMAR has now become the MMAP. Rules have changed. All IBD patients were previously admissible, now HC doesn't even have to approve your condition. All you need is a doctor that signs a discharge that is good for 1y, and you use this discharge to sign up with an authorized dispensary.
Thing is, the program JUST LAUNCHED and the only authorized dispensary available is cannimed. I am still part of the old program and will be allowed to grow my own until May 2014, after that I'll have to buy from dispensaries too, but by then, there will be more options.
The forms for cannimed are here:
http://cannimed.ca/pages/application-forms-and-medical-document
Cannimed is owned by Plant Prairie LLC, who were previously the sole producer of MMJ for the government, so it's not surprising they were ready first.
All you need is those forms signed, and you send them off to cannimed and you can order up to 150g/month.
The difficult part is to find a doctor who is willing. If you are already on Humira, there is no more next step for you, pharmaceutically. If you've been seeing your GI long, I would bring him as many articles as you can (even if he wont read them, show him you care enough about the issue and that you have done your research).
Tell him you know there are risks but that there are risks with the other pharmaceutical options as well, and that the side effects are also taking a toll on you.
Doctors were previously uncomfortable with prescribing MMJ because there was no legal source. From now on, the MMj dispensaries in Canada will be authorized and sanctioned, regulated and regularly inspected, so there are safe sources.
If your GI doesn't want to, then you can go to a private clinic that is MMJ friendly. I used such a clinic to get my original MMAR application approved since back then it was slightly more complicated. Its name is Green Leaf, they are in BC, but they can meet you over skype for the interview. The cost is between 200-400$.
If you can find a doc to sign the discharge for free though, that is the best option.
