[1] The MMAR program was intended to clearly define the circumstances and the manner in which access to cannabis for medical purposes would be permitted.
The MMPR treated cannabis as much as possible like any other narcotic used for medical purposes by creating conditions for a new, commercial industry that is responsible for its production and distribution.
[3] The transition from the MMAR to the MMPR program represented a substantial change in direction for the supply and acquisition of medical cannabis in Canada and it did not go without controversy.
An exemption was granted by a Federal Court Judge in British Columbia and permitted clients who had a valid authorization to possess and/or a production license as of March 21, 2014 to continue to grow until the outcome of a Constitutional Challenge Trial that started in February 2015.
[4] [5] The court challenge resulted in the MMAR regulations getting struck down as unconstitutional due to the inability for patients to grow their own medicine.