FAQ

Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about medical cannabis and our ordering process.

Notice

As of Friday, May 19, 2023 Opticann’s medical product portfolio will be transitioned to Spectrum Therapeutics.

To order Opticann’s medical cannabis products or to explore other products, please visit: Spectrum Therapeutics – Medical Cannabis in Canada

Receive a 25% discount on your first order from Spectrum by letting them know you are transferring from Opticann.

If you have any questions, or would like to transfer your medical document to Spectrum, please contact the Opticann Patient Care Team toll-free at:  1-855-437-2266 (Mon- Fri from 8:30am to 6:00pm EST) or via send us an email.

If you have already requested the transfer of your medical document to Spectrum Therapeutics, please allow a few days for processing. You will be contacted by Spectrum Therapeutics to complete their patient registration and create your account for ordering.

If you have not requested the transfer of your medical document, please contact us by emailing us or simply call our Patient Care Team at: 1-855-437-2266. We are available Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 6:00pm EST.

Thank you,

The Opticann Team 

Patient Accounts

Registering with us is easy! There are two steps to complete your registration. First, create an account by registering online with us. Next, obtain a signed medical document from your healthcare practitioner or physician.

If you do not have a prescribing physician, we can help. Book a telehealth consultation with Releave Therapeutics, our trusted clinic partner. For more details, please visit: Become a Patient.

If you have any questions along the way, our Patient Care team can be reached at: 1-855-437-2266 or send us a message.

Registration renewal applications are required for submitting a new Medical Document for expired prescriptions. Medical Documents are valid for up to 12 months. If your Medical Document has expired, you will need to obtain a new Medical Document to authorize you to purchase cannabis for medical purposes as per Health Canada Cannabis Regulations. To obtain a new Medical Document, make an appointment with your prescribing physician or healthcare professional to renew your Medical Document, or book a free telehealth appointment with our partner clinic.

To request renewal, please contact Opticann Patient Care at: 1-855-437-2266 or message us requesting to renew your patient registration. Once we have received your request, you will receive an email to verify your personal information is the same, confirming your registration renewal.

If you need to submit any changes to your registration that require a signature from a secondary party, such as an institution or for adding a caregiver, please use downloable registration form and checkmark “Renewing Patient” at the top of the form.

A Medical Document is form (similar to a prescription) required by Health Canada for authorization to purchase cannabis for medical purposes.
Medical documents must be completed by a healthcare practitioner and are valid for a period of up to 12 months, at the discretion of your healthcare provider.
 
The personal information on the medical document must match the information on the patient registration application in order to complete the patient registration process to get approved.
 
If you have an existing medical document and are registered with another Licensed Producer (LP), you can purchase medical cannabis from us by requesting to transfer your medical document to Opticann, licensed under CannaCure Corporation, from your current licensed producer.
 
Once we have received both your signed medical document and your registration, our Patient Care team will promptly verify your account and you can begin purchasing Opticann medical cannabis products from our Patient Portal.
To obtain a Medical Document, make an appointment with your healthcare practitioner (primary physician or nurse practitioner) for an assessment to see if medical cannabis is right for you and have them fill out your Medical Document.
 
Forward a copy of our blank Medical Document to your healthcare practitioner to use.
 
Your healthcare practitioner must submit your signed Medical Document directly to us either by fax or mail, as this ensures the privacy and protection of patient-sensitive data which can be vulnerable when sent via email. Our secure fax number is: (437) 826-9005
 
If they do not have a fax available, the original signed medical document can be mailed. Our mailing address is:
Opticann
Attn: Patient Care Team
333 Jarvis St
Fort Erie, ON L2A 2S9
 
If you do not have a primary physician, we can refer you to a knowledgable healthcare practitioner from our trusted partner clinic to assess you for a Medical Document.

We have partnered with Releave Therapeutics to offer patients a quick and easy way to connect with a licensed physician for an assessment to obtain a Medical Document (similar to a prescription).

Book your free online telehealth appointment for a professional consultation with a physician and follow up with a clinic educator to discuss your symptoms/conditions, any other medications you are taking, and review dosage. Please ensure to have your provincial health card ready for the intake form.

Once your telehealth appointment is set, you will be assisted by Releave clinic staff who are knowledgeable and will help to make this process as seamless as possible.

Yes! Opticann strives to make accessing our medical products as affordable as possible for all our patients. We offer reduced pricing for those who qualify. For details, please review our discount programs and learn how to apply.

Pricing programs are not combinable with other programs or discount offers.

If you are a registered patient and need to change your personal information, such as mailing or shipping address, name change, phone number or email address, submit an Account Amendment form with your new information.

Send the signed form back to our Patient Care team at email: info@opticann.ca OR post by mail to: Opticann Patient Care, 333 Jarvis St, Fort Erie, ON, L2A 2S9, Canada. Once received, we will promptly update your account with your new information and you will receive an email confirmation.

If you need any assistance with your account, please call: 1-855-437-2266 during office hours Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.

Orders and Shipping

We accept the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Visa Debit, and Visa Gift cards.  We currently do not accept American Express, Apple Pay, PayPal, e-Transfer, cheques or cash.

Yes!  We provide free shipping on orders over $99.00 (before tax and after applicable discounts) through Canada Post Xpresspost with delivery of 2-3 business days nationwide.

Orders under $99.00 (before tax, after applicable discounts) will be charged a flat rate of $12.00 using Canada Post Xpresspost.  

Orders are shipped from Heritage’s licensed producer facility conveniently and discreetly to our patient’s primary residence or shipping address by Canada Post Xpresspost or Purolator Express within Canada only.  Orders will be shipped using the shipping method selected at checkout when placing an order.

For one-day delivery nationwide, select Purolator Express. All orders using Purolator Express will be charged a flat fee of $25.00.

Please allow 24 to 48 hours for order processing. Tracking information will be available once your order leaves our facility and will be emailed from Opticann by Heritage (sender: info@heritagecann.com).

For more information, please review our full Shipping and Returns Policy

All orders are final sale.  For more information, please review our full Shipping and Returns Policy.

If you are experiencing an issue with your product, please contact Patient Care for assistance with potential resolution.  We can be reached Monday through Friday by telephone at 1-855-437-2266 or by email at: info@opticann.ca.

We are here to support you.

Medical Cannabis

Cannabis and hemp plants contain groups of chemical compounds, which are known as cannabinoids.  Cannabinoids are the main active ingredients in cannabis and experts have a strong understanding of two common ones: THC (tetrahydrocanninol) and CBD (cannabidiol), though more than 100 other cannabinoids have been identified.

CBD (cannabidiol) is a non-intoxicating compound usually extracted from cannabis or hemp plants and has increasingly become more recognized for medical utilization due to its therapeutic properties and effects.  CBD works within our bodies by interacting with our endocannabinoid system.  At therapeutically relevant doses, some people describe a sense of well-being and sense a reduction in pain, inflammation, and anxiety.

Some key differences between THC and CBD include:

  • CBD does not cause euphoric effects, whereas THC typically can have these effects
  • CBD is is known to decrease some of the psychoactive effect intensity of THC 
  • CBD administered orally has similar effects to inhaled CBD, whereas orally administered THC has distinctly more pronounced psychoactive effects than inhaled THC and over a longer period of time

CBD may be ingested from a variety of forms or applied topically to be absorbed through the skin. CBD may be inhaled from cannabis or hemp dried flower combustion or vaporization of extracted oil. It may also be taken orally in the form or oil and capsules, although this is less efficient as only 8-12% of orally ingested CBD is typically absorbed. Sublingual (under the tongue) CBD in the form of filmstrips may result in rapid and better absorption. Pharmaceutical formulation technology is also known to improve absorption for oral dosage forms such as capsules.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid compound of Cannabis sativa, shows limited oral bioavailability due to its lipophilicity and extensive first-pass metabolism. When taken orally, unformulated CBD has approximately 8-12% absorption and the absorption rate becomes more inconsistent when taken without food.

In order for cannabidiol (CBD) to be effective, it has to reach your endocannabinoid systemmeaning it first needs to be absorbed into your bloodstream.  The degree and rate that CBD is absorbed into the bloodstream is what’s known as bioavailability. Once CBD is there, it needs to stay in circulation long enough to be delivered to the body where it is needed.

Opticann’s CB4 Relief capsules are formulated with VESIsorb®, a patented SEDDS (self-emulsifying drug delivery system) technology. This natural, water-soluble drug delivery system enables faster and greater absorption of CBD⁠, about 4X that of conventional CBD when administered orally.

When CBD is administered sublingually (holding under the tongue for a few minutes before swallowing), it does not matter if you take it with food. Sublingual dosing improves the bioavailability of CBD because the glands under the tongue absorb the CBD, providing a direct pathway to the bloodstream. CBD molecules, when bypassing the digestive system, allows it to reach the bloodstream quickly without first being metabolized by the stomach and liver.

Can’t find an answer to your question?

We are here to support you and answer any questions you may have! For any inquiries, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Contact our dedicated Patient Care Team Monday through Friday, between 8:30 AM to 6:30M EST (except for statutory holidays).