Pennsylvania’s proposal to require medical marijuana coverage in workers compensation – MEDCAN24

WorkCompCentral reports that new legislation in Pennsylvania requires employers to reimburse injured workers who receive workers’ compensation up to 250 dollars per month in medical cannabis costs.

The proposed bill, HB1766, requires workers who want reimbursements for cannabis purchases in the state to register with its medical cannabis program.

Rep. David Delloso, the bill’s sponsor (D), stated that injured workers with chronic pain “need a viable option for managing pain other than opioids” and that prescribing medical marijuana to treat chronic discomfort protects workers against harmful and dangerous medications.

It is important to note that allowing medical cannabis use in treating chronic pain for injured workers provides relief not just to the workers themselves but to their families as well. The families can rest easy knowing that their loved ones’ pain will be controlled without the fear of addiction or rising medical costs associated with opioids. — Delloso, in a memo introducing the bill

Pennsylvania legislators approved the medical cannabis policy of the state in 2016. However, the Legislature is yet to pass any reforms for adult use. Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives passed in May a marijuana legalization plan that included state-run cannabis dispensaries. But the Senate Law and Justice Committee tabled the bill and effectively killed the initiative for this year.

Last month, bipartisan legislators introduced another marijuana legalization bill.