A pending House appropriations proposal would prohibit federal workers’ comp programs from covering or reimbursing cannabis, even if federal law changes to recognize medical uses.

The proposal would apply to programs administered by the Department of Labor (DOL), including programs administered by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), such as Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) claims.

The bill would block DOL/OWCP from authorizing, reimbursing, or recognizing cannabis as a compensable treatment under any federal workers’ comp program and would apply regardless of rescheduling. The prohibition would remain in place even if cannabis is reclassified under federal law.

The proposal is consistent with recent case law, as a March 2026 federal appeals court decision held that marijuana is not reimbursable under the LHWCA while it remains a Schedule I controlled substance, because federal law treats Schedule I substances as having no currently accepted medical use.

It remains to be seen how this proposal will progress, but for now it seems that cannabis is likely to remain outside compensable treatment frameworks for federal workers’ comp programs. Healthesystems will continue to monitor federal limitations on cannabis reimbursement to stay ahead of any impacts they may have for Longshore and other federal workers’ comp claims, which could include non-payment risk, issues of compliance, and consistent claims handling.