Expanded list of eligible conditions for medical cannabis

June 6, 2023

gsc update

As you may recall, in March 2018, GreenShield launched a medical cannabis (MC) product offering more options for incorporating MC into a benefits plan, but with much greater oversight and rigour than is currently available through a health care spending account (HCSA). The landscape continues to evolve, and since launch, we have conducted regular reviews of the emerging evidence and, based on a recent review of the best available research, our MC product currently includes the following medical conditions (as a last resort treatment option):

  • Chronic neuropathic pain in adults aged 25 and older
  • Spasticity due to multiple sclerosis in adults aged 25 and older
  • Nausea and vomiting due to cancer chemotherapy in adults aged 25 and older
  • Seizures in those age two and older diagnosed with Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (CBD products only)
  • Palliative cancer pain in adults aged 18 and older

Adding this optional MC benefit to your plan provides a much more fluid and adaptive option compared to an HCSA. Contact your account team for more information.