Reimbursing medical marijuana through workers’ compensation may be feasible for carefully selected patients with chronic pain, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

The study, titled “Medical Cannabis Reimbursement in Workers’ Compensation: Insights From a Program Evaluation in Colorado,” evaluated a patient enrolled in the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation’s Alternative Pain Management Program.

Researchers affiliated with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Leaf411 and Amarimed of Colorado examined whether medical marijuana could be reimbursed safely within a coordinated workers’ compensation care model.

The program combined reimbursement for medical marijuana with care coordination and extensive clinical oversight. Researchers collected health and treatment outcomes at the beginning of the program and throughout the following 12 months.

By the end of the program, the patient reported meaningful reductions in pain, improved physical functioning and mobility, a better quality of life and increased psychosocial stability. No adverse safety events were reported.

The patient also voluntarily reduced monthly opioid consumption by 17% as symptoms became more manageable. The program did not require the participant to taper or discontinue opioids.

Since the study data was finalized, the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation says the participant has discontinued both opioids and THC and now relies exclusively on less psychoactive cannabinoids.

“The program demonstrated the feasibility of reimbursing medical cannabis under a coordinated care model,” researchers said.

The evaluation focused primarily on whether reimbursement could be implemented within the workers’ compensation system rather than determining whether medical marijuana is broadly effective for chronic pain.

Because the program evaluation involved a single patient, the findings cannot establish that similar outcomes would occur among the wider population of people receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

Researchers also emphasized that the approach would be appropriate only for a limited group of carefully screened patients and would require structured clinical monitoring, communication with treating physicians and attention to workplace impairment and safety risks.

“This program evaluation suggests that medical cannabis reimbursement may be a viable option for very select workers’ compensation patients,” researchers concluded.