What’s the anticipated impact of medical marijuana on benefit plans?

With increasing use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes, many employers are wondering about the implications for their drug plans and the health of their employees. 

According to Benefits Canada, 100 million people in North America now use medical marijuana to treat a range of symptoms, including sleep, pain, anxiety, depression, loss of appetite and nausea.  Among the patients taking medical marijuana, University of British Columbia studies show about 80 per cent are substituting it for prescription drugs such as acetaminophen, opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and benzodiazepine. When asked why they substitute cannabis, people said it has a more acceptable side-effect profile and provides for better management of symptoms.  According to the data, the assumption is that we can expect savings with substitution of cannabis for other drugs.  Only time will tell, of course, but recent statistics seem to imply this exact behavior.