Consideration of Medical Marijuana Inclusion in Life Care Planning: Implications and Challenges

This article provides background information on medical marijuana, cannabinoids and cannabis terminology to discuss the challenges and implications related to inclusion of cannabis in life care plans. The article will discuss cannabis-specific recommendations and prescription options based on the types of medical diagnoses that a life care plan may address. There will be solutions described for the consideration of cannabis inclusion in life care planning. This article includes references which may be suggested to support the life care planning process, should medical marijuana be a life care planning option. A life care plan is a “dynamic document” and as such, reflects changes in trends in medicine and healthcare practices. In the 30+ years that life care plans have been developed and utilized, items included in plans have certainly changed. For example, with technology, life care plans may now regularly include items such as a smart house or robotic prosthetics, that 30 years ago, were not regularly available. Additionally, with the opioid epidemic, pain management plans now likely involve more frequent medical monitoring and urine drug screening services than were required even five years ago. To this end, the changing landscape of regulated and lawful use of cannabis-related products requires an exploration of the types of goods available for consideration in a life care plan. In the past decade, cannabis-related products began to be legalized for medical use in many states across the United States. Now, the trend follows that cannabis-related products are becoming legal, even for recreational use, across the nation. More and more individuals with pain or injuries are finding that these cannabis-products are assisting them with pain management, anxiety-control, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms. Life care planners are finding that their evaluees are replacing many of the typical prescription medications that have historically been included in life care plans with cannabis-related products. It is now time that each life care planner must decide whether or not to include these alternative treatments in their reports. It is imperative that life care planners have the knowledge base to make informed decisions in this regard and to be able to defend their inclusion, or exclusion, of cannabis-products in their life care plans. In order to have a full understanding of this field, an understanding of the nomenclature is required.