Starseed Medicinal Inc. ("Starseed"), the first medical cannabis company to form a strategic partnership with a large private health benefit plan, is pleased to announce that it has officially launched its unique medical cannabis supply and service model with LiUNA local 625 in Windsor, Ontario and will be expanding the program across Canada in the coming months.

Starseed has partnered with Laborers' International Union of North America ("LiUNA"), Canada's largest construction union with 120,000 active members, which has commenced providing health coverage for medical cannabis to its members and their dependants. This partnership is part of a growing global movement towards finding viable alternatives to opioids for treating chronic pain.

"This is the beginning of what we believe is a major shift in thinking about medical cannabis as a crucial component in employee health benefit plans," said Angelo Tsebelis, President of Starseed. "LiUNA made a bold decision to be the first to make a fully informed and educated decision to endorse medical cannabis, and we believe many other employers, concerned about the health and safety of their employees, will follow their lead."

"Far too many Canadians suffer from chronic pain, and there is one thing we know for sure: opioids are not the answer," added Dr. Peter Blecher, Chief Medical Officer of Starseed and a prominent chronic pain specialist.

Joseph S. Mancinelli, LiUNA's International Vice President and Regional Manager of Central and Eastern Canada  adds, "we believe the members of LiUNA deserve access to innovative healthcare options. It is clear to us that medicinal cannabis is a critical part of treating chronic pain without the risk of dependency. Starseed's service-oriented approach and commitment to developing safe and reliable products are precisely why we chose them as our medicinal cannabis provider."

Starseed has developed a unique service model which includes educational seminars focused on safe and responsible medical cannabis use, an easy to use medical cannabis product suite, onsite clinical support and benefits onboarding. Starting with the successful launch in Windsor, Ontario, Starseed will be rolling out across Canada in the coming months to service all of LiUNA's active and retired members and their dependents as well as the general population of medical cannabis patients in Canada. Starseed is also in active discussions with other employers and benefits providers about potential strategic partnerships.