After the Arthritis Society’s extensive advocacy for medical cannabis research, it seemed only natural for the organization to cover the drug under its employee benefits plan. In 2017, as it prepared to introduce the coverage, it brought together an expert panel, including doctors with extensive experience prescribing medical cannabis and expert pharmacists and advisors from […]
Nearly a year since the legalization of recreational cannabis, most Canadians said it’s hasn’t had an impact at work in terms of health and safety (75 per cent), productivity (74 per cent), absenteeism (71 per cent) or quality of work (70 per cent), according to a new survey by ADP Canada. This is in contrast […]
The federal government’s effort to rein in the cost of reimbursing veterans for their medical marijuana appears to have failed as new figures show Ottawa shelled out a record $75 million in the last fiscal year. And that’s only the beginning: the Veterans Affairs Canada figures show the government is on track to spend nearly […]
Spectrum Therapeutics, the medical division of Canopy Growth Corp., is partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association to develop an educational content module related to cannabis in the workplace. The module, which will be part of the CMHA’s workplace mental-health program Not Myself Today, will launch early next year. It will feature a number of physical […]
Compared with recreational users, medical cannabis patients frequently use CBD-dominant preparations with the smallest amount of THC to get the greatest improvements in symptom control, function and quality of life with the fewest adverse events, said Michael Koehn, founder of the CannSolve Clinic in British Columbia. During a session at Benefits Canada’s Chronic Disease at […]
The conflation of medical and recreational cannabis can present challenges when it comes to workplace policies, says Gregory Clooney, a lawyer and senior legal consultant at Morneau Shepell Ltd. “This should be avoided as these are two very different concepts to be addressed within their own context,” he says. “Yes, there’s some potential overlap, but this can […]
The Great-West Life Assurance Co. is expanding its coverage of medical cannabis, which includes a new agreement with Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., to deliver its medical cannabis coaching program. “We’ve expanded our optional medical cannabis coverage to our pay-direct drug plans, which represent the vast majority of all of our drug plans, to help the financial, physical […]
Two-thirds (65 per cent) of Canadians would take a drug containing cannabis if it were prescribed by a doctor, approved by Health Canada and covered by insurance, according to a new Ipsos poll. Among the 65 per cent, 36 per cent said they’re very willing and 29 per cent said they’re somewhat willing to do so. Men (69 […]
While the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has traditionally handled medical cannabis on a case-by-case basis, it’s new policy on the drug takes effect on March 1, 2019. The policy, which provides a framework for entitlement to, and approval of, medical cannabis by the WSIB, sets out the following five conditions for entitlement: Neuropathic pain; Spasticity resulting […]
Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana is urging the federal government to remove all taxes on medical cannabis. “More than 480,000 Canadian patients require medical cannabis to help them manage a variety of issues, from chronic pain and arthritis to mental health,” said Gerald Major, president of CFAMM, in a press release. “The government is […]