A federal bill introduced Monday would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect Medicaid spending on cannabis-related inpatient and outpatient care and emergency room visits related to cannabis use. The bill, sponsored by North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd (R), comes just weeks after launching a pilot program that allows Medicare providers to be reimbursed up to $500 per patient per year for discussing and providing certain hemp-derived cannabis products.
In a statement, Budd claims that the use of cannabis has “serious” health consequences and that lawmakers must “put the health and safety of the American people first, ban it completely.”
“This is exactly why lawmakers need access to reliable data detailing Medicaid spending related to marijuana abuse. Millions of Americans rely on Medicaid health care benefits, and my legislation will ensure that Congress understands the dangers of this drug and its impact on federally funded health programs.” – Stupid in a press release
The bill is supported by the anti-cannabis group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), which is also suing the federal government on the pilot program allowing reimbursement for hemp-derived products. In a statement, Kevin Sabet, CEO of SAM, said the organization “enthusiastically” supports the legislation.
“Senator Budd’s bill requires an accounting of taxpayer-funded health programs and the impact of normalizing this dangerous drug on their costs,” Sabet said in the statement, “and this is long overdue.”
In addition to collecting data on Medicaid costs related to cannabis use, the Marijuana Impact on Medicaid Act would require HHS to provide Congress with a report within one year of enactment that includes a summary of the findings from the data collection, in addition to making recommendations for possible legislative or administrative action to be considered.
