Sydney marijuana clinic serving more than 400 clients after 1 year

A large "Plants Not Pills"sign facesbusy Kings Road in Sydney, N.S.,the slogan forthe chain of Marijuana for Trauma clinics.

Marijuana for Trauma was foundedin Fredericton with the goal ofhelpingveterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

That was the plan when the group opened a facility in Sydney last year, but it soon began branching out.

It nowoffers its services to civilians interested in finding out more information about the uses ofmedicinalmarijuana.

From pills to pot

"We aid in the treatment of many afflictions, from chronic pain, PTSD, Crohn's, colitis, cancer, arthritis and many others," said JoeBisson, who runs the Sydney franchise.

In the military,Bisson survivedan explosion in Iraq in 1991. He sayshe had so many prescriptions to help him cope with his PTSD that one pointhe was taking more than 1,200 pills a month. Now he uses only marijuana.

Using marijuana for medical purposes has been a hot topic of debate, with many doctors remaining ambivalentabout prescribing the drug for chronic pain.

The Sydney Marijuana for Traumafranchise was just the second such clinicin the country when it opened.There are now 13 clinicsacross Canada, but the Sydney facility remains theonly one in Nova Scotia.

It serves clients from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador,Prince Edward Islandand Nova Scotia.

The client list in Sydneyhas grown from 80 in September of 2015 tomore than 400 clients.

"Around 420," avolunteer joked, laughing at his reference to what'sknown as the "international smoke-up time" in pot circles.

'Adults making an informed decision'

The personnel at the clinic, though, areserious about what theydoand feel they are serving a growing need.

"This is not 18-year olds eating hash brownies ataFridaynight party," Bissonsaid.

He and others at the centre are determined to help people get the help they need.

"This is adults making an informed decision about their choice of medicine and, when used properly, it can treat ahost of diseases and afflictions and it's natural."

Quality of life

HubbaParris, 70,is one of those adults.

"I haven't felt this good in 35 or 40 years," says the well-known singer from Whitney Pier on Cape Breton.

He did research on marijuana because his wife, Trina, suffered from chronic pain.

He began giving his wife an extract of marijuana formulated for pain relief instead of a high.

"Behold,her pain subsided and she's been on that ever since," he said.

Parris himself has diabetes and three years agowasdiagnosed with cirrhosisof the liver related to his medication. He now takes marijuana capsules in the morning and sometimes in the evening.

"I have bad legs alsoand I take [marijuana]for pain, and since I started that my pain has subsided."

Parrissaid his diabetes medicationwent from 12 pillsa day to two.

"People want to get away from the prescription pills and try the marijuana because the side effects of the prescription pills sometimes outweigh the benefits," he said. "So this is where I went and I'm quite content that I went there."

No gateway

Bissonhas no worries that marijuana for painmight be a gateway drug.

"The pharmaceuticals in your medicine cabinet are far more gateway drugs,when you look at how most people get on the harder drugs," he said. "They start with a prescriptionfor anopioid, that runs out and they turn to the street for an alternative. You run out of marijuana, you're not going to snort coke to replace it."