Patients denied medical marijuana coverage: Medical marijuana treatment has just been refused by the Disability Support Program in Ontario, Canada. According to CBC, under the Ontario Drug Benefit Program, patients are being denied coverage for medical cannabis.
Patients have already begun paying out of pocket for medical cannabis, due to the harmful and addictive side effects of their alternatives, opiates, which are covered by the program. Reimbursement for any medicinal cannabis used before the ruling was also denied.
An Opioid crisis has plagued the United States for a number of years and is making its way over to its northern neighbor.
Patients Denied Medical Marijuana Coverage: Opioids vs. Marijuana
Heavy narcotics are deemed 'safe' by the Disability Support Program, but patients aren't convinced. Bobbi Assoun, a patient living with MC-related pain, told CBC that she holds a doctor's prescription for marijuana, but the disability program she's on makes her pay for it herself.
"I look at all the medications I've taken over the years, and they don't help like medical marijuana has done for me," Assoun said. "I find that it would just be like a wave, and the pain would just go away."
Assoun says she won't be able to afford medical marijuana anymore and will need to switch back to her Dilaudid, which caused her problems in the past. Now she fears that her previous addiction to the drug will return.
Not Just for Pain
Other patients on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) have had similar experiences to Assoun. Shaun Gricken told CBC that he uses CBD oil and marijuana to treat his anxiety. He tried several prescription medications before cannabis, and none of them worked.
Gricken told CBC that before cannabis, he was indoors all the time and never left his house due to his condition.
"The fact that they'll cover those and opiates out the wazoo, and not cover this, it's ridiculous," Gricken said.
Gricken has to spend $350 a month on cannabis because it isn't covered by insurance.
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Featured Image: easternontarionetwork.com
