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Currently the Ontario government is aligned with the Federal government regarding their views on medicinal cannabis. It is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a prescribed medication and therefore does not get coverage on most insurance plans, including those that the provincial government subsidizes. The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) often provides funding for its members to access their medications. However, it does not recognize medicinal cannabis as an approved medication and does not provide funding for acquiring it. This leaves many in dire straits, either trying to get medicinal cannabis and not having enough money for other necessities in life, or going back to the opiates covered by the provincial government programs. Ontario’s Workplace and Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) views medicinal cannabis in much the same way as ODSP, although they have been quoted as evaluating coverage “on a case-by-case basis”. Many injured workers are denied…

One of the hurdles that limits access to medicinal cannabis, is the lack of coverage by insurance companies due to the lack of recognition of medicinal cannabis as a prescribed drug. Many patients that rely on medicinal cannabis struggle to afford it at the time of purchase, limiting their access and impeding their health and quality of life. However, there is an insurance company partnering with a widely reputable pharmacy that is changing the game and removing some of these obstacles for patients! Manulife has officially launched a medicinal cannabis program that will allow members to claim benefits for their medicinal cannabis expenses. Program sponsors are eligible to submit an application for the new program and will be able to start using these benefits as of September 2018. Manulife has also announced their new partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. This will give members of the new Medicinal Cannabis program…

For as long as the medical community has been using cannabis, they have broken it down chemically to find the most effective applications for the treatment of patients.  Two primary components for therapeutic uses have been identified. These two chemicals are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as THC), and cannabidiol (also known as CMD).  Each substance has their own set of properties, therapeutic benefits and side effects that helps serve the patients who use them. THC is the more common substance that is identified when referring to cannabis. It tends to be in higher concentration in the marijuana plant.  It is more readily binding to its corresponding receptors in the brain, which is what gives the patient the euphoric, intoxicating effect, more commonly known as “being high”.  THC has been shown to have great benefits to reduce the amount of plaque in the coronary arteries, decreasing the chances of a heart attack…