Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER MAY 2019 FEATURES 21 IN FOCUS BENEFITS Why should MEDICAL CANNABIS be included in a BENEFITS PLAN? J onathan Zaid was 14 when he started suffering from a persistent, daily headache he described as "unrelenting pressure combined with migraines and insomnia" that signifi cantly impacted his ability to function in daily life. After trying nearly 50 diff erent drugs to ease his suff ering, can- nabis was the only thing that helped, he says. "When I fi rst tried medical cannabis, I had my fi rst proper night's sleep in fi ve years," says Zaid. "It allowed me to regain quality of life, including the ability to go to university." In 2014, Zaid was one of the fi rst Canadians to have medical can- nabis covered by a private insurer when he was an undergraduate student at Ontario's University of Waterloo. At the time, he was paying more than $600 per month for medical cannabis. He asked Waterloo's student union to cover it under their Sun Life Financial health-care plan, and after some lengthy discussions and advocacy, they agreed. " e student union rightfully decided to cover medical cannabis like they would with any other medication," says Zaid, who founded the non-profi t advocacy group Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) while at Waterloo. Five years later, at age 26, Zaid is now director of advocacy and corporate social responsibility at Aurora Cannabis, which off ers a medical cannabis coverage option through its Sun Life group ben- efi ts plan. "It is the right thing to do," says CHRO Debra Wilson. "Cannabis use for medicinal purposes is changing people's lives and creating better days… It's no diff erent than other prescription drugs." Easing the pain Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada since 2001. Its use is often recommended for chronic pain and symptoms associated with cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and pal- liative care. In the past, the eff ectiveness of medical cannabis has been studied to a lesser degree, but Marni Brooks, a family doctor practising in cannabinoid medicine, says it has proven to be a "very eff ective" treatment for a range of issues. Brooks, who has a background in addiction medicine, also chairs the Ontario Medical Association's Medical Interest Group in Can- nabinoid Medicine. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds (such as cannabidiol or CBD) that give cannabis its therapeutic and psy- choactive eff ects. Brooks says she's usually the "last line" for her patients as can- nabis and cannabis-derived medicines are successfully being used to treat "all sorts of chronic pain conditions" such as osteoporosis and fi bromyalgia, as well as infl ammatory conditions like Crohn's disease, autoimmune conditions like psoriasis, neurological condi- tions like epilepsy and mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "Insurance companies, as you probably know, cover an unlimited amount of opiates for pain," she says, citing one of the most common uses for medical cannabis. "I feel strongly in harm reduction… and if you want to reduce harm and costs, cover cannabinoids." Making the claim Today in Canada, all benefi ts providers pay claims for cannabis through health spending accounts if someone has medical authori- zation. Other companies — such as Sun Life, Manulife, Great-West Life, SSQ Insurance and Blue Cross — have gone a step further. "Many have decided to off er an add-on medical cannabis plan because there is valid evidence of eff ectiveness in some medical situations," says Joan Weir, director of health and disability policy at the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA), which represents nearly all of the country's life and health insur- ance providers. "Typically, it would be similar to a benefi t for the services of a chiropractor or a physiotherapist, with a yearly maximum in place," she says. Such coverage is "not a standard off ering anywhere yet," says Weir. In most cases, it also only covers pre-authorized patients with a small group of severe conditions or pre-authorized patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options. Companies' lists of qualifying conditions, however, are expected to grow along with medical cannabis research. "Of course, employers who choose to off er this as a benefi t typi- cally will have the ability to choose that criteria or may have a plan without criteria," she says. at's exactly what Aurora negotiated as it now off ers $3,000 in annual medical cannabis coverage to employees if they have preau- thorization from a physician, no matter what their condition. "Getting that type of coverage outside of an HSA was very impor- tant to us," says Wilson. "Our values demand it. We've positioned ourselves as leaders in our industry, and that includes our people programs. For us, covering medical cannabis is just one piece of our total rewards system that will attract the best." Covering medical cannabis should also not just be for cannabis industry players, says Zaid. "When authorized by a physician and recommended to an in- dividual for the treatment of a medical condition, it's important to consider that individual's needs," he says. "Lots of patients are using medical cannabis as a substitute for opioids and benzodiazepines and other potentially dangerous drugs that are covered under exist- ing plans that exclude cannabis. It's important to support employees' health — that's the ultimate goal of any benefi ts plan." Daniel Otis is a writer with Aurora Cannabis' communications team. He can be reached at daniel.otis@auroramj.com or for more information, visit www.auroramj.com. Drug used to treat everything from chronic pain to epilepsy to Crohn's disease By Daniel Otis

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