LexisNexis Canada’s The Lawyer’s Daily published an article authored by Hicks Morley’s Sukhvinder Dulay titled, “Benefits Plans and Medical Cannabis — to Cover or not to Cover.” In this article, Sukhvinder reviews whether the current health and benefits plans provide reimbursement for cannabis products used for therapeutic or medical purposes.
Tag: Cannabis / Marijuana
Appellate Court Considers Cannabis Impairment and Accommodation Issues
In International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1620 v. Lower Churchill Transmission Construction Employers’ Association Inc., the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador judicially reviewed an arbitration decision in which the key issues were measuring impairment from cannabis use and accommodation obligations. The Arbitrator found that there is currently no way to accurately measure such…
Coverage for Medical Cannabis under Ontario’s Workers’ Compensation System [Video]
The legalization of recreational cannabis, which came into effect on October 17, 2018, has raised many questions for employers about cannabis use in the workplace, as well as potential coverage of cannabis under benefit plans. In this video, Mariana Kamenetsky and Kathryn Meehan talk about coverage for medical cannabis under Ontario’s workers’ compensation system.
OMHRA Spring 2019 ECHO Newsletter Features Articles Authored by Amanda Cohen and Jessica Toldo
The Spring 2019 issue of OMHRA’s ECHO newsletter features two articles authored by Amanda Cohen and Jessica Toldo.
FTR Quarterly – Issue 12
In This Issue: Year in Review – Key Human Resources Law Developments of 2018, The Road Ahead: Human Resources Trends and Issues to Watch in 2019 and more!
2019 Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC) Labour Relations Seminar
Over the course of two days, chief fire officers, senior municipal officials and human resource professionals hear from a team of legal experts, fire chiefs from across Ontario, and renowned international speakers that give insight, up-to-date knowledge and guidance into a wide range of labour relations issues that are currently impacting the fire service. Throughout…
WSIB Issues New Policy on Medical Cannabis
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has issued Policy 17-01-10 Cannabis for Medical Purposes (Policy) which will come into effect on March 1, 2019. The WSIB has previously covered the cost of medical cannabis in some circumstances, primarily for the relief of pain in accordance with section 33 of the Workplace Safety and Insurance…
Tribunal Finds that Denial of Coverage for Medical Cannabis under Employer’s Benefit Plan is not Discriminatory
The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (the Tribunal) recently held that the decision to deny coverage for medical cannabis coverage under an employer’s benefit plan is not discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code) when the decision to deny coverage is unrelated to an applicant’s disability or another protected ground. In Rivard v. Essex (County),…
Benefits Canada Publishes an Article by Thomas Agnew on Benefits Coverage for Medical Marijuana
Hicks Morley’s Thomas Agnew authored an article in Benefits Canada titled “Employer Obligations Around Medical Pot, Benefits Plans.” In a case from February 2017, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal confirmed that an administrator of a benefits plan can choose what specific drugs and medications will be covered by a plan. In particular, it held that the exclusion of medical cannabis…
FTR Quarterly – Issue 11
In This Issue Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans Recreational Cannabis and Your Workplace: Five Steps to Consider Featured Lawyer – Maureen M. Quinlan Featured Topic – Cannabis Expertise Featured Articles Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans By: Natasha D. Monkman and Sukhvinder K. Dulay With the legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018, employers…