On November 16, 2016, Vice News published an article, "Veteran Medical Marijuana Benefits Are Costing Canada a Fortune", on the skyrocketing use and cost of medical cannabis among Canadian veterans. The article uncovered industry practices that artificially inflate pricing for veterans' medical cannabis as well as unethical referral arrangements between veteran clinics and licensed producers. 

Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) is deeply concerned about the impact of differential pricing for veterans and believes these practices hurts all medical cannabis patients, many of whom continue to struggle with affordability with few cost-coverage options available. We strongly denounce differential pricing based on cost-coverage status and urge both cannabis industry associations, the Canadian Medical Cannabis Council and Cannabis Canada, to enact policies prohibiting these practices. 

When done so responsibly, cost-covering medical cannabis can be beneficial for both insurers and plan members. A 2013 survey published in Addiction Research and Therapy found that almost 70% of medical cannabis patients...