(OTTAWA) Ottawa is reimbursing a record number of veterans for medical cannabis use as new data reveals the federal government paid more than $150 million in the last fiscal year.
Posted at 8:31 a.m.
This amount is more than twice the amount paid just three years ago.
And that’s just the beginning, according to forecasts by Veterans Affairs Canada, which estimates the government is on track to spend nearly $200 million on cannabis this year as more service members submit claims. for their treatment.
While experts and advocacy groups admit they are unsure of the reasons behind this sharp increase in demand, they agree that there is a need to deepen knowledge about the real benefits and possible risks of consumption. marijuana by veterans. Especially because it is the taxpayers who foot the bill.
“We desperately need more studies to find out if these policies and current use are likely to do more good or more harm,” observes Deputy Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Research Michael G. DeGroote of the University. ‘McMaster University, Jason Busse.
“We don’t know at the moment,” he insists.
Veterans Affairs Canada began reimbursing a small number of veterans for their cannabis use in 2008. At that time, approvals were granted on an extremely limited basis and only on the recommendation of a physician.
This decision followed a series of court judgments, dating back more than 20 years, which opened the door to the first legal exceptions allowing the consumption of cannabis for medical reasons and protecting patients from criminal prosecution.
Then, in 2014, Health Canada relaxed its rules regarding the authority to grant permission to use cannabis for medical purposes as well as the grounds for consuming it. These new guidelines did not impose limits on the quantity of pot consumed or on the cost.
At the time, Veterans Affairs Canada reimbursed 112 veterans for an annual bill of $409,000. By the following year, the numbers had jumped to 600 consumers for a total bill of more than 1.7 million.
According to data provided by the department to Minister Lawrence MacAulay last June, the government reimbursed more than 18,000 ex-servicemen for a total of $153 million in cannabis in 2021-22.
“For fiscal year 2022-2023, program expenditures are estimated at $195.2 million,” the note reads.
This cost explosion continues despite a Liberal government decision in 2016 to limit claims to three grams per day at a value of $8.50 per gram. Special permission on the recommendation of a physician may allow for a maximum of ten grams per day.
The imposition of these limits had raised the ire of veterans and advocacy groups who argued that it would have harmful consequences. According to the memo prepared for the Minister, one in five ex-servicemen is entitled to more than three grams a day.
By comparison, Health Canada reports that the number of Canadians registered as medical cannabis users, whose expenses are normally reimbursed by private insurers, rose from 345,000 in October 2018 to 257,000 last December.
Officials from the Veterans Transition Network, an organization based in British Columbia that provides support and counseling services to former members of the Canadian Armed Forces, have witnessed the explosion of consumption in recent years.
“Seeing these numbers of year-over-year growth, for me, is what you’re seeing in the way it’s become common in the veteran community,” said network executive director Oliver Thorne.
The director of the network’s national clinic, Dr.r Paul Whitehead estimates that about half of veterans who participate in the organization’s programs use some form of cannabis for medical reasons. However, the exact reasons, frequency and dosage vary widely from person to person.
Experts cite a number of reasons for the rise in consumption including the COVID-19 pandemic, greater awareness, less stigma, and the emergence of a multi-million dollar industry.
Some veterans and advocacy groups argue that cannabis use has reduced reliance on opioids and other narcotics.
Without being able to confirm whether this statement is correct, the Dr Whitehead reports a drop in alcohol consumption among his organization’s clients.
Despite everything, he underlines like many others that questions remain about the real effects of cannabis on veterans.
“We are convinced that there are positive effects because that is what veterans tell us and they tell us often,” commented Olivent Thorne. But we don’t know how. I think that’s what you really have to understand: how does it work? Why does it work? »
Researcher Jason Busse attempted to answer these questions at McMaster University. What he has found so far is the paucity of data available looking at the effects of medical cannabis. The rare information available speaks of little or no impact on the majority of subjects suffering from chronic pain or sleep disorders.
The lack of valid information persists despite the federal government’s repeated promises to invest in research on this issue. Jason Busse also blames Health Canada whose regulations and bureaucratic obstacles have prevented the establishment of large-scale clinical studies.
Despite hearing testimonies from veterans extolling the benefits of marijuana, Oliver Thorne and Dr.r Whitehead say they are concerned that ex-servicemen use drugs to escape their psychological trauma rather than confront it.
“We’d love to see the amount spent on consulting programs increase so dramatically every year, whether it’s ours or others,” notes Mr. Thorne.