Get Happy Canada Contest Shows the True Face of Medical Marijuana Users in Canada

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 14, 2014) - With one week left to enter the Get Happy Canada (aka the Free Weed for a Year) contest, hundreds of Canadians have come forward with their stories on the impact that medical marijuana has had on their lives.

"We're elated at the response that the contest has had," stated David Brown, Director of Communications for Lift. "This contest has really created a platform and a unified voice for medical marijuana patients in Canada. There are a lot of really sick people out there. People who have tried regular pharmaceuticals and treatments with no real result; medical marijuana has been a saving grace for so many."

"At Lift, we want to put a real face on who Canadian medical marijuana users are," says Brown. "We want the country to understand that these people are not 'stoners' who are using marijuana to get high. They are real people who are suffering from some truly debilitating conditions for which marijuana can provide them with true relief."

Greg Chaisson, a medical marijuana patient under Health Canada's new MMPR program who suffers from ulcerative colitis, spoke to Lift about his experiences. He turned to medical marijuana after suffering negative results from the conventional medications prescribed to him by his physician:

I often have a great deal of difficulty dealing with nausea and stomach spasms. Marijuana almost immediately calms my digestive system and helps settle the inflammation. Part of what sold my doctor on approving my prescription was the research I presented to him. There is plenty of evidence to support that it improves the overall quality of life for Crohn's and Colitis patients. I brought him several scholarly journals detailing the benefit.

Chaisson's interview also highlighted the challenges that patients still face as the new Health Canada program continues to roll out: "It bothers me to think that at present it is far easier to access on the black market than the existing legal system." Other issues identified with the new program include a lack of supply, not enough licensed producers, lengthy application processing times and little support from the physician community who function as gatekeepers for patients.

The Get Happy Canada contest launched on Monday, June 9, 2014 and promises a year of free medical marijuana for one lucky patient. Lift will not be supplying medical marijuana directly; the contest winner will need to obtain authorization from a doctor and order from a Licensed Producer. In turn, Lift will cover the cost of their marijuana (up to one gram per day, for 365 days). The contest ends July 18, 2014.

To enter the contest or learn more, visit http://www.liftmj.com/gethappycanada/.

To access Lift's Patient Guide on how to talk to your doctor about medical marijuana and register with a Licensed Producer, visit: http://www.liftmj.com/patientguide/.

Lift is a Canadian effort that has created a place for ordinary people to come together to learn about and encourage the production and consumption of high quality and ethically priced Canadian marijuana.

Lift is Canada's premier online marijuana marketplace. Lift aims to provide unbiased information and news about Canadian medical marijuana strains and the companies that produce them.