Quebec auto insurance agency pays for man’s pot
The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) must pay to install a hydroponic marijuana grow facility for a man who was injured in a car accident 25 years ago.
The Tribunal administratif du Québec (TAQ) has ordered that the SAAQ pay the man $5,000 to set up the greenhouse, as well as cover expenses including plants, soil, electricity and an alarm system.
The man, who cannot be named, started smoking marijuana after a serious car accident in 1986 left him with severe spinal injuries. The man, 23 at the time of the accident, found that various legal medications did not help his pain issues, especially muscle spasms, while marijuana helped to lessen the pain. He requested insurance coverage for marijuana but was initially refused.
The man first started to obtain the drug illegally, which led to several arrests and criminal charges. He later received permission from Health Canada to possess and grow marijuana for his own personal use.
The Tribunal said that it’s aware that the use of marijuana for therapeutic reasons is controversial and that there’s no medical consensus for this type of treatment.
“Therefore, we have to rely on the experiences of the people involved in order to appreciate the benefit of marijuana use.”
SAAQ spokesperson Gino Desrosiers said that this decision is a first for the agency and they are studying the possibility of appealing the ruling.
