By Marie-France Chayer, legal services coordinator
Whether it be after a work-related injury or a car accident, chances are medication will be prescribed in conjunction with physical therapy to help the person cope with the pain and other unpleasant symptoms. Unfortunately, traditional medicine does not always work for everyone and sometimes, doctors must turn to a more controversial treatment; smoked or vaporized cannabis (marijuana).
With the rise of this trend in pain management, a rightful question to ask is: « Is marijuana use covered by our public compensation organizations like the SAAQ or CNESST? »
Decisions like Corbeil et Wilfrid Nadeau Inc. and Ledoux et Excavations Vidolo Ltée have helped establish a list of criteria to meet in order for medicinal cannabis to be covered. The drug has to be prescribed by a doctor, you must have prior authorization by Health Canada to possess it, and your doctor needs to attest that all conventional treatments have been tried unsuccessfully. If these conditions are all met, the SAAQ or the CNESST should technically cover the costs of your prescription.