Missouri patients with medical cannabis cards will not be at risk of losing social assistance if they test positive for marijuana under the new state policy
This legal change occurs after Missouri residents in 2018 voted in favor of patients with cancer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder and other diseases being able to use cannabis with the doctor’s approval. But the legalization of medical cannabis in Missouri puts those patients in confrontation with another state law that requires applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to undergo analytics to detect drug use. Under that law, participants in social assistance programs run the risk of losing benefits for three years if they are asked to take a drug test and fail or do not show up.
Rebecca Woelfel, a spokesman for the Department of Social Services, said the social services agency will examine beneficiary cases with medical marijuana cards. Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, made a press release praising the agency’s attitude for making a sensible and human decision that protects patients who need medical cannabis and does not unnecessarily interfere with The doctor-patient relationship.
Around 9400 families and 22,000 people received financial aid in Missouri in August, according to Social Services data.
Rebecca Woelfel says that the agency’s new welfare policy will still require that some applicants for social assistance be tested for drugs. He also said that participants can refuse to undergo a drug test, but then they will have to enter a substance abuse treatment program and that if a person does not pass a drug test, they only test positive for marijuana and do not have A medical cannabis card may receive social assistance only if it is subjected to a substance abuse treatment approved by the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
