Cannabis Clinic now open in Kitchener

Marijuana is shown for sale at the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Clinic in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 15, 2010. (AP / Eric Risberg)

The city of Kitchener now has a medical marijuana clinic to treat patients with conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety and cancer.

Director of the Canadian Cannabis Clinics, Ronan Levy, tells CTV News that many doctors in Waterloo Region do not feel comfortable prescribing cannabis, "1-2 percent of Canadians suffer from conditions that could benefit from medical cannabis, but no doctors really prescribing."

Levy states that patients will not be given a prescription of cannabis until they have a referral from their family doctor, proof of diagnosis and treatment history. The patient will then have to be screened by the clinic`s physician in order to be a suitable candidate.

Patients must be prepared to pay out of their own pocket if approved by the clinic. Levy says it costs $7 per gram which equals to $150-$200 per month, on average.