QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Veterans Affairs
Cannabis for Medical Purposes
February 15, 2024
Welcome, minister. Last August, the newspaper La Presse obtained a copy of a memo from your department showing that the cost of reimbursing veterans for medical cannabis had surged. Some 6,000 veterans are being reimbursed for seven grams of cannabis per day, while the average for very ill people, according to Health Canada, is two grams per day. I certainly understand that veterans are suffering, that many of them saw combat and that they need relief. Even so, have you solved this intriguing mystery?
Thank you once again for this important question. The health and well-being of veterans and their families are at the core of the programs and services we provide across Canada. In order to help veterans who have been advised by a physician to take cannabis for medical purposes, we implemented a reimbursement policy. It is up to physicians, not us, to send a copy of the prescription to Veterans Affairs, which then issues the recommendation. According to departmental policy, it is perfectly true that we reimburse veterans for the costs they incur for this.
I understand your general policy, but my question was more specific. How is it that 40% of veterans who use cannabis need a average daily dose of seven grams, when Health Canada normally recommends two grams?
To answer your question more specifically, as of March 31, 2023, there were 5,760 veterans approved for reimbursement in excess of the three-grams-per-day limit. In 2022-23, the program exceeded $167.6 million in reimbursements. In 2023, Veterans Affairs Canada conducted an internal audit of the program and identified areas for improvement. These are being discussed with health experts and other partners. No changes to the program are being proposed at this time.
