CANADIAN veterans’ use of medical marijuana – with little oversight or evidence of health benefits – has soared over the past decade, along with the prescription costs picked up by the government, according to an audit released this week.

The number of former soldiers seeking reimbursement from the government for medical cannabis purchases has grown from about 100 in 2014 – when Health Canada introduced new rules – to more than 18,000 currently, according to government data.

The audit found that they spent an estimated Can$156 (RM535) million in total over the past year on pot – more than on all other prescription drugs combined, and this is forecast to more than double to Can$321.5 million by 2026.

“More and more veterans are now seeking reimbursement for CMP (cannabis for medical purposes) either because conventional treatments fail to relieve their pain or cause negative side effects,” the report said.

Eighty per cent used three grams of pot or less per day.

The auditors concluded that the Veterans Affairs department must improve oversight over the program and “engage with health experts in developing a stronger policy and monitoring framework that will support the health needs of veterans and their families.”

The report cites a lack of proper guidance on who can or should access medical pot, or clear evidence of health benefits to the former soldiers, suggesting the department was too focused instead on ensuring access to the program.

Health Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada, it notes, have warned against individuals suffering from mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using cannabis.

Yet the vast majority of the pot reimbursements were made for PTSD, according to the audit.

Forty-five veterans were found to have been prescribed medical cannabis despite being diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder.

And 195 veterans who obtained pot had also been reimbursed for anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, benzodiazepines, or opioids.

In one third of cases there was no evidence that a doctor had actually prescribed cannabis to the veteran, and in many others there was little or no medical follow-up.

Notably, the audit found that alarmingly an “extremely small number” of doctors – 11 – were responsible for authorising almost 40% of all veterans’ requests for medical cannabis.

According to Veterans Affairs, as of December 2021, 23,500 former soldiers had been diagnosed with PTSD, which was most prevalent among those who served in Afghanistan.

Canada became the first major economy to legalise recreational use of cannabis in 2018. It has been authorised for medical use since 2001. – AFP, September 16, 2022.