Yesterday it was announced that Shoppers and Loblaws will be providing coverage for medical cannabis for employees via their group plan with Manulife. 

The coverage is available through a pre-authorization process where employees pay out of pocket (purchase from a Licensed Producer) and are reimbursed to a maximum of $1500/year. Only plan members who are using cannabis for spasticity/neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis and nausea/vomiting from chemotherapy are eligible. 

These conditions were chosen because Shoppers believes these to be the conditions where "the most compelling clinical evidence and literature supports the use of medical marijuana in therapy,” explained Shoppers spokesperson Tammy Smitham. Shoppers has indicated they will continue to review evidence for other conditions as it becomes available. 

In total 45,000 employees from Shoppers, Loblaws and Weston Foods will be eligible for the coverage. 

This follows a recent decision where the Nova Scotia Human Rights Tribunal required an insurer to cover medical cannabis for a plan member. 

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