Canada’s Medicinal Cannabis Reimbursements – Weed | hemp | marijuana

A record number of Canadian military veterans have received reimbursements for medicinal cannabis. The federal government spent more than $150 million last fiscal year. The amount has doubled in just three years.

Veterans Affairs Canada is on track to spend $200 million on medical cannabis reimbursements this year.

Medicinal Cannabis Reimbursements for Veterinarians

The reason for the refunds is the 2008 court decision that required the federal government to provide “reasonable access” to medical cannabis. And it makes sense if the federal government already reimburses veterinarians for medicines.

Demand among veterans has skyrocketed since 2016. In November, the government overhauled the way it handles reimbursements for medicinal cannabis. The government reduced the amount of cannabis it would reimburse as well as the cost.

So-called “experts” welcomed the decision, equating lack of evidence with evidence of absence. Some believe military veterans abuse cannabis to avoid their psychological trauma. But this is just further evidence of the public health problem facing the cannabis industry.

Can Canadians afford this?

The November 2016 revision lowered reimbursements for medical cannabis from 10 to 3 grams per day. The government gave those who consumed more than three grams six months to either quit or find an additional source of income to be able to afford their medicine.

The reduction in medical cannabis reimbursements for veterinarians followed a report by the Court of Auditors. Citing “public health experts,” they decided 10 grams a day was too much.

Some cannot imagine putting a price on treating Canada’s veterinarians with dignity. The fact of the matter is, the year-on-year increase in medical cannabis reimbursements is unsustainable over the long term.

Should Vets Get Reimbursements for Medicinal Cannabis?

Should Canada’s Military Veterans Get Medicinal Cannabis Reimbursements? Most Canadians would probably argue yes. Regardless of the annual cost, national defense is (or at least should be) the top priority of the federal government. And if that means combat vets needing 10 grams of medicinal cannabis a day for the rest of their lives, so be it.

If the federal government wants to reduce these costs, there are several options.

one: Suppose the federal government wants the number of veterinarians with PTSD requiring medical cannabis reimbursements to decrease. In that case, they can stop requiring our military to engage in activities that cause trauma.

You can stop sending the Canadian military to parts of the world where we have no business. “Peacekeeping” missions in Yugoslavia or Rwanda are an Orwellian way of describing war.

Two: They can disappoint other branches of government. The first (and some would argue only) function of the federal government is national defense.

Any additional government bureaucracies may be gutted or reduced to the provincial government. Or, ideally, back to the private sector, which handles resource allocation more efficiently and effectively.

Three: They can liberalize the cannabis industry, resulting in lower prices. Lower prices for the same or higher amounts of cannabis mean that the cost of reimbursement for medical cannabis goes down even as consumption or the number of veterinarians increases.

in summary

A record number of Canadian military veterans are receiving medical cannabis reimbursements. This number increases year after year. Limiting what vets can claim is a short-term solution, if it can be called a solution at all. “It’s a purely cost-saving endeavor,” said Michael Blais, founder of Canadian Veterans Advocacy.

However, the most insulting part of all of this is the “public health experts” who suggest that military vets avoid their problems or trauma by consuming medicinal cannabis instead of toxic drugs.

Next time the Canadian government wants to get involved in a conflict abroad, maybe we can send politicians and public health busybodies instead. Keep the troops at home. Deploy them in the Arctic. We have a lot to do up there. Russia already claims parts of the Arctic Circle for itself.

We shouldn’t be so stupid as to think that the territory belongs to Canada just because it says so on a map.