Appeals Court in New Mexico Rules Medical Marijuana Should Be Paid By Workers Comp A New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled recently that an employer’s workers comp coverage should go to pay for an injured worker’s medical marijuana. This is, so far, the first appellate court ruling in favor of medical marijuana treatment paid by an insurance company for a work place injury. The injured worker, George Vialpando, was working at Ben’s Automotive Services in Santa Fe in 2000 when he seriously injured his back. His physician testified that … [Read more...]
Medical Marijuana Legalization Raises Workers Comp Questions
March 9, 2014 by
States with Legal Medical Marijuana Use Struggle to Understand Workers Comp Impact Although marijuana is still technically legal at the federal level, 20 states and Washington DC have passed laws allowing marijuana to be used for medical reasons (additionally, Washington State and Colorado allow recreational marijuana use). However, with marijuana dispensaries becoming more common, state regulators are now beginning to question whether medical marijuana should be covered under workers comp insurance. “I think that most insurance companies … [Read more...]
