Pubdate: Wed, 04 May 2016
Source: Record, The (Kitchener, CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Metroland Media Group Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.therecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/225
Author: Murray Brewster
Page: A1

MEDICAL-POT COSTS QUESTIONED

Auditor says program for ex-soldiers - expected to cost $25 million
this year - is getting out of hand

OTTAWA- The latest report from the federal auditor general urges
Veterans Affairs to get a grip on its medical marijuana program for
injured former soldiers, which is expected to cost taxpayers $25
million this year.

Michael Ferguson says it's just one of the programs where the federal
government has critical data available to it that's either not usable,
not used or not acted upon at all.

The report tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons also looked at the
dire condition of the army reserves, the federal government's
inability to detect and prevent refugee fraud, and the uncertain
impact of the former Conservative government's $400-million venture
capital action plan.

But with marijuana for veterans, Ferguson paints a picture of program
out of control.

He says the federal department long ago recognized the need to contain
the prescribed pot program by imposing a limit on how much the
government is willing to pay per gram, but usage levels and costs
continue to climb.

Veterans Affairs has covered medical marijuana costs since 2008, but
more vets have applied since the regulations were overhauled three
years ago, sending the cost through the roof. Ferguson says it will
soon account for almost one-third of all federal drug coverage for
ex-soldiers. Tuesday's report finds that officials saw the tidal wave
of higher medicinal pot expenses coming, but did little to prevent
it.

"We found that before these new regulations were passed, department
officials had identified that they would likely cause an increase in
the number of veterans requesting marijuana for medical purposes,
increasing the department's expenditures," said the audit.

Officials had documented that commercial suppliers were charging up to
$14 per gram, almost triple the federal government's estimate, it notes.

"Despite acknowledging this in advance, it did not establish a dollar
limit for covering marijuana for medical purposes."

In 2013-14, there were 112 veterans taking prescribed pot at a cost of
$408,000, but by the end of December 2015 some 1,320 ex-soldiers were
enrolled at a cost of $12.1 million. That adds up to an average of
$9,600 per veteran.

Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr said he accepts the auditor's
criticism, but noted he has already ordered a review of the delivery
of the program.

He did not explain why the department refused to take action, but
instead focused on consulting with veterans groups and medical experts
about the way forward.

"We're taking the time to get this right," he said. "We're going to
consult on this and come out with a policy directive in the coming
months."

The audit also found the department does not effectively monitor
high-risk drug utilization among veterans.

The criticism unnerves some veterans advocates, such as longtime
critic Mike Blais, who worries that more monitoring could lead to
officials "snooping in our files to see who is using marijuana."

He said there are going to have to be privacy safeguards.

Veterans Affairs says it's willing to pay for up to 10 grams of
marijuana a day, per veteran - twice the threshold recommended by
Health Canada. Ferguson questioned whether the department was doing
the right thing and warned the policy could lead to some ex-soldiers
becoming addicted.

"According to an internal departmental briefing document, Health
Canada indicated that more than five grams per day may increase risks
with respect to the drug's effect on the cardiovascular, pulmonary,
and immune systems, and on psychomotor performance and may increase
the risk of drug dependence," said the report.

"Despite the awareness of these potential risks, we found that the
department had set the limit at 10 grams per day per veteran, and that
in rare circumstances it could increase this limit after consulting
with a veteran's health-care provider."

The department agreed with the auditor's concerns and said it had
hired a pharmaceutical adviser to development guidelines in
conjunction with other departments.
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MAP posted-by: Matt