Advocates are calling for Veterans Affairs Canada to reverse course on cuts to medical cannabis reimbursements and increase wellness support for vets
Canada was one of the first countries to authorize the use of cannabis for medical purposes in 2001, and the second to legalize recreational cannabis with the 2018 passage of the Cannabis Act. However, for veterans experiencing anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain and PTSD, significant budget cuts for medical cannabis at Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC) have left many of them feeling betrayed, as the clock turns backward on access.
The federal government is cutting spending at VAC by $4.4 billion, placing reimbursements for cannabis in the crosshairs. As of April 1, new legislation has reduced reimbursement for medical cannabis products from $8.50 to $6 per gram. The cuts will affect veterans with medical pensions for conditions attributable to their service who have met the rigorous qualifications to be enrolled in VAC’s Cannabis for Medical Purposes program (CMP).
The move will prove detrimental to veterans, says Rick Savone, senior vice-president, global government relations at Aurora. A cut of this magnitude is likely to affect the supply chain for Cannabis for Medical Purposes, he says. And with VAC making decisions for the CMP program based on budgets, rather than benefits for veterans, patients may increasingly find their pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products dwindling. More worrisome, veterans may revert to opioids and other drugs, which the health-care system provides for free.
“By pegging medical reimbursements to the price of retail products, VAC is essentially saying that it’s all the same to them,” Savone says. “The recreational market is focused on the highest potency for each dollar spent, whereas pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products are specifically formatted, dosed and developed for patients, allowing doctors and authorized practitioners to prescribe various products with precision.”
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