Lawmakers Want to Block Wage Loss Benefits for Pot-Related Injuries

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 | 0

A House committee of the North Dakota legislature gave a "do-pass" recommendation on Monday to House Bill 1156, which would prohibit North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance from paying for medical marijuana.

Rep. George Keiser

The bill would also prohibit the payment of wage loss benefits if an injury was related to the use of medical marijuana.

The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. George Keiser, R-Bismarck, said he wanted to see more information to support the use of medical marijuana for work-related injuries, according to a Forum News Service report in the Jamestown Sun. Keiser also noted the conflict between state and federal laws pertaining to marijuana.

Meanwhile, the Senate Human Services Committee gave a "do-pass" recommendation to Senate Bill 2154, which would delay certain provisions of the Compassionate Care Act to give the North Dakota Department of Health more time to set up rules governing medical marijuana. In November, voters approved the act, a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana for the treatment of certain conditions, and to develop procedures for regulating medical marijuana growing, dispensing and usage.