A newly signed agreement will allow the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) to take a hard look at the benefits that medical marijuana could have in treating the illnesses and ailments that many Métis people currently live with, and suffer with.

“This is important, because we know that cannabis has medicinal uses and can be powerful in helping people,” MMF President David Chartrand said.

“And we know that so many of our people are suffering, and looking for ways to stop their pain and suffering.

Last week MMF announced that they had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Green Mountain Health Alliance and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre to collaborate on what they said would be “high quality research to advance our understanding of cannabis as a medical therapy, and to improve health outcomes for the Manitoba Métis.”

“We have the highest rates of arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis of any Indigenous group in the province,” Chartrand said.

“So we think this is going to be very beneficial for our people and very educational at the same time.”

“We have to have that education because we know that some still see it as a bad drug, and a drug that is illegal, so they don’t want anything to do with it,” he said.

“These illnesses just take the spirit right out of people because they can’t do many of the things they used to do, and they often can’t drive or get around, so it’s very hard on people’s mental well-being as well.

According to MMF the new agreement will increase cannabis research and development with world leading scientists, contribute to knowledge about the effects of cannabis consumption, and determine which cannabinoids work most effectively for a range of symptoms.