Recently in Augusta, Maine, the supreme court has been arguing on a decision of whether or not to allow medical marijuana for patients who benefit from it more than prescription narcotic drugs.
This is the first time that this question has been considered of whether or not insurance should be used for medical marijuana patients.
One resident in the state, Gaetan Bourgoin won a case against the state’s Workers’ Compensation Board stating that the paper mill he worked at should have insurance reimburse him for the medical marijuana he chose to take over prescription drugs. He has stated that the marijuana was a much cheaper option than the drugs he was prescribed.
The company, Twin Rivers Paper Co., and its insurers appealed the judgement and stated that paying for his marijuana use, even though it was for a medical purpose, could make the company liable to be under prosecution since the plant is still not legal from a federal level.
Marijuana is so far legal in 29 states as well as Washington, D.C., and insurers have been hesitant when confronted with the same idea.
There are currently five states that have chosen to treat marijuana as something that is reimbursable by the workers compensation laws. Those states are Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey and New Mexico. Florida and North Dakota have since passed laws this year that strictly prohibit medical marijuana from reimbursement by workers’ compensation laws.
The argument still stands whether or not marijuana should be allowed due to its effectiveness for treating pain. Since opioid abuse is at an all time high, many think that it is the right thing to do to save people from the addiction crisis that is abusing the country. With the argument ongoing throughout the country, it will be interesting to find out the result of whether or not patients can get the treatment that not only they prefer, but that works best for them.
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