Two companion bills, New Jersey S3984 and New Jersey A1023, were introduced, which would require workers’ comp, PIP, and health insurance coverage for the medical use of cannabis under certain circumstances.
While the bill does not specifically call out what constitutes the medical use of cannabis, they do note that scientific data indicates that cannabis has significant medical value when used in the treatment of certain injuries and diseases, including pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, appetite stimulation, and relieving some of the symptoms of HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis.
However, the bill adds that employers and carriers would not be required to provide coverage for medical cannabis upon intervention of the federal government to enforce the Controlled Substances Act.
These two bills specifically carryover information from two other similar bills that failed to pass in 2024; A4371 and S1943.
For ongoing coverage of the latest legislation and policy updates impacting workers' comp, visit the Healthesystems Advocacy & Compliance page for our weekly Regulatory Recap.
