New Mexico court upholds insurance coverage for medical marijuana

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters


By Reuters
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 9:08 EDT

By Joseph J. Kolb

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Reuters) – An injured mechanic who uses medical marijuana as pain treatment can have his former employer and the company’s insurer reimburse him for the drug, a New Mexico appeals court ruled.

The state’s Court of Appeals voted unanimously on Monday to uphold a previous workers compensation court decision that also ruled in favor of the 55-year-old former mechanic, who suffered a lower back injury in 2000, according to court papers.

The Santa Fe mechanic’s former employer, Ben’s Automotive Services, and its insurer, Redwood Fire & Casualty, had objected to reimbursing the man for using medical marijuana as treatment, citing the drug’s illegality under federal law.

Albuquerque attorney Peter White, who represents the mechanic, said he is not aware of any other state where a workers compensation board has approved a patient’s reimbursement for medical marijuana.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/21/new-mexico-court-upholds-insurance-coverage-for-medical-marijuana/

[SamKnause]

1. K&R

[mountain grammy]

2. It's about time.

[billhicks76]

10. Yes It Is

The prejudice is not holding up anymore. Cheers to not letting jerks tell us what we need or don't.

[kenichol]

3. I am a qualified medical marijuana person in NM

Holey moley....I can't be happier about this. At 12-13-14 dollars a gram (unless I get 'Salad Bowl', which are the smaller left-overs at the bottom of the jar, at $8.50 a gram), it gets quite expensive.

[kenichol]

4. Ooops. I'm Duer 'duhneece'

I'm so excited and am Ken's house that I forgot and posted under his name.

[safeinOhio]

5. When will Medicare start

to cover it?

[Feral Child]

6. Good news. REC n/t

[duhneece]

7. I think this is huge news

I would have thought there would be more responses to this news on DU. I guess we're all getting used to the marijuana (medical and other) legalization becoming more ho-hum.

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. This is a first as far as I know. New Mexico sets a good precedent.

[duhneece]

11. Yeah, I think it IS the first and sets such a great precedent that I'd thought it would be huge news

I like to think it's a good sign that it's not bigger news here. I emailed my insurance company to ask them about this, attaching the link and part of the text. I go through dramas, like being on local tv with my Bundy-ite County Commission who wants to trump the US Forest Service who said that I apparently hate cows because I was on the side of the US Forest Service. Now, this. Damn, life is good.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. You don't know a gentleman named Doug Fine by any chance, do you?

He's written books about marijuana and about hemp, and he's a self-described "New Mexico organic goat rancher." I think he may live somewhere around you.

[duhneece]

12. No. I did meet a group of 'producers'

At an International Drug Policy Reform Conference, but no one who sounds like Doug. Hmmm, will have to check it out with a search.

[duhneece]

13. I just checked. He lives in Grant County...far from here politically

256 miles from here, 5 hours plus. Still, he is a New Mexican and that makes him feel close...and thank you for turning me onto him.

[Comrade Grumpy]

14. I got him to send his new book about hemp to a couple of South Dakota farmers I know.

The book is pretty good, and I was careful to point out to those guys that their colleagues north of the border are netting $250 an acre off hemp right now. Up there, guys have those huge spreads. A thousand acres, $250,000 net doesn't sound too bad. Of course, we have to actually legalize it first. There is that.

I don't know where Grant County is. From one of your earlier posts, I figured you might be down in Johnson County or somewhere thereabouts.

[duhneece]

15. I'm in Otero County NM

I just bought an Ameribag made of hemp (my dog chewed through my old one)..
Recent news, featuring ME for 5 seconds at beginning and 5 seconds at end...I love 'our' Bundy-loving County Commissioner telling me that apparently I hate cows:
http://www.kvia.com/news/otero-county-commissioners-want-gates-unlocked-debate-continues/25944626

[Comrade Grumpy]

16. You hate cows! I saw it on the news!

It would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetic.

[duhneece]

18. Exactly!!

Weird in the neatest way that you saw a DUer (me!) on the news.

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. Aah, when I said Johnson County, I was thinking of Lincoln County.

Got my range wars mixed up. Johnson County is in Wyoming.

And now, thanks to a New Mexico county map, I know where both Otero and Grant counties are.

[duhneece]

19. I love that you are now more informed than before! nt