With all of the discussions surrounding Medical Cannabis, the perception was it was going to take over the world. When I look at all the of the places you can buy Cannabis, maybe it has?
Green Shield has put a story together that talks about Medical Cannabis. It might be dying on the vine:
“Only 3% of respondents in Health Canada’s 2019 Cannabis Survey reported that they have full insurance coverage for medical cannabis. The survey—that randomly recruited 12,000 respondents across all provinces and territories —also found that just 3% report partial coverage, leaving 94% reporting no coverage.1 Instead of budding health benefit, it sounds like medical cannabis might in fact be a dying-on-the-vine situation, but why?”
I am sure there are several reasons why Medical Cannabis has not taken off. Probably starting with it is legal now and people can just buy it at the store. Because it doesn’t have a Drug Identification Number (DIN) Number, the only way to reimburse it is through a Health Care Spending Account (HCSA). Once Health Canada has classified it as a prescription Drug, then a DIN number can be issued.
Even though there might not be a lot of people on Medical Cannabis, I would not want to leave you with the perception that Cannabis is not being consumed. It could still be an area that has to be addressed in the workplace.
If you are looking for guidance on setting up policies in the work place, I would recommend contacting Tanja Halsall at Potentia HR & Engagement Consulting. (250) 469-3824
Glendinning Insurance Services would be happy to guide you through the process of setting up a HCSA, if that is right for your company. Contact us at (250) 764-0142.
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