SMART SENIOR QUICK TAKE
- A new CMS pilot allows limited hemp-derived products in certain programs
- These products are low-THC — 0.3% or less — and tightly restricted
- This is not dispensary cannabis and won’t get you “high”
- Access is limited and won’t apply to most seniors, at least for now
If you’ve seen headlines suggesting Medicare is about to start paying for cannabis, take a breath. Put your Bic lighter back on the table for a second and read what's really happening.
What the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) actually rolled out is a very narrow pilot program. However, it has more guardrails than a NASCAR track.
Under what CMS calls a Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI), certain healthcare organizations can offer limited hemp-derived products to select patients to help with symptom control.
But here’s the part that matters: this is not medical marijuana as most people understand it.
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