The laws regarding medical marijuana are a bit quirky. Several states have legalized the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, (with certain restrictions). The federal government, however, considers all sales of marijuana to be illegal. Oregon has created insurance for growers of medical marijuana. It can provide some protection, but not against the federal government.
Medical marijuana can be used for relief of muscle spasms and of chronic pain. It can suppress the nausea that cancer patients feel as a side effect of chemotherapy. It can help restore the appetite, and reduce nausea and vomiting in people who have AIDS. Some people who have multiple sclerosis or epilepsy find that medical marijuana can alleviate symptoms such as epileptic seizures, spasticity, tremors, and muscle pain.
Sixteen different states, and the District of Columbia, have passed laws that define the criteria under which a person can sell, or use, marijuana for medical purposes. The federal government, on the other hand, still considers the sale or use of marijuana to be illegal, (even if it was for medical purposes).
Oregon is one of the states that has legalized the use of medical marijuana. In Oregon and Washington there are around 100,000 medical marijuana patients. Oregon is the first state to create insurance policies that will protect the people who are growing marijuana for medical purposes.
It is similar to a crop insurance policy. The actual policy probably is not called “medical marijuana insurance”. It might be called “surplus line insurance” instead. The policies begin at around $1,200 to $2,000 a year, and come with a $5,000 deductible. It protects growers if their crop is damaged by fire, rain, wind, or theft. It might help if the grower, or the clinics that sell medical marijuana, get raided by the state.
The one thing it will not protect against is if the federal government raids a grower or clinic. This is because if the insurance offered that specific protection then the insurer could be charged with aiding or abetting a crime, (because marijuana is considered to be a controlled substance by the federal government). However, the insurance can help growers reimburse their losses after a federal raid occurs.
An insurer called Statewide Insurance, which is in Sacramento, California, currently underwrites somewhere between 3,500 to 4,000 medical marijuana policies right now. In a way, the policy doesn’t only protect the grower. It also protects the severely ill people who find a small amount of relief from chronic pain, seizures, or severe nausea, when they use medical marijuana. The policy helps ensure that their medicine is going to remain available to them for a little while longer.
Image by Chuck Coker on Flickr