ABSTRACT
An influential cannabis lobby and its allies are engaged in an aggressive initiative to mandate health and worker's compensation insurance coverage for non-standardized, non-FDA-regulated cannabis products. If successful, mandated reimbursement would present a severe public health risk and force taxpayers to fund a risky and under-regulated industry. Leaders in psychiatry and other medical specialties have sounded the alarm about the marketing and sale of cannabis products for medical uses without prior review by the FDA. We echo their strong opposition to bills requiring workers' compensation carriers and health insurance plans to cover the cost of dispensary-purchased "medical" cannabis. Mandated insurance reimbursement of dispensary products is "a recipe for a public health disaster, as lowering or eliminating out-of-pocket costs will encourage more consumers to become certified under a state's medical cannabis program, and result in more frequent use of higher-potency cannabinoids (e.g., THC and CBD) that are associated with serious adverse events." Until there are thorough studies into these products, including adverse events, side effects and long-term concerns, these products should not be considered appropriate alternatives to FDA-approved medications. Their use should not be encouraged nor paid for through mandated reimbursement by public or private third-party payers.
Subject(s)
Cannabinoids , Cannabis , Hallucinogens , Medical Marijuana , Humans , Medical Marijuana/therapeutic use , Public PolicyABSTRACT
Addiction medicine is a dynamic field that encompasses clinical practice and research in the context of societal, economic, and cultural factors at the local, national, regional, and global levels. This field has evolved profoundly during the past decades in terms of scopes and activities with the contribution of addiction medicine scientists and professionals globally. The dynamic nature of drug addiction at the global level has resulted in a crucial need for developing an international collaborative network of addiction societies, treatment programs and experts to monitor emerging national, regional, and global concerns. This protocol paper presents methodological details of running longitudinal surveys at national, regional, and global levels through the Global Expert Network of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM-GEN). The initial formation of the network with a recruitment phase and a round of snowball sampling provided 354 experts from 78 countries across the globe. In addition, 43 national/regional addiction societies/associations are also included in the database. The surveys will be developed by global experts in addiction medicine on treatment services, service coverage, co-occurring disorders, treatment standards and barriers, emerging addictions and/or dynamic changes in treatment needs worldwide. Survey participants in categories of (1) addiction societies/associations, (2) addiction treatment programs, (3) addiction experts/clinicians and (4) related stakeholders will respond to these global longitudinal surveys. The results will be analyzed and cross-examined with available data and peer-reviewed for publication.