Valerie Hauch
Danny Auger has a licence to use marijuana for pain relief after his arm was reattached, but is fighting to have workers’ compensation pay for it, as it would for a number of painkillers that can be addictive.
ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE/TORONTO STAR
It would be easier on Danny Auger’s already thin wallet if he just took a prescribed painkiller to deal with the chronic pain he suffers from nerve damage, due to a horrific 2009 construction accident that almost completely severed one arm.
He is able to get medically prescribed drugs — no matter how addictive — paid for by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (formerly Worker’s Compensation Board).
But the 47-year-old Orillia man knows and fears the addictive aspects of painkillers and prefers to use marijuana (mostly through ingestion, occasionally smoking) to deal with his pain. For about two years he’s had a licence from Health Canada, supported by documentation from a medical doctor, that allows him to legally use it after obtaining it from a designated grower.
Complete article here:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1258095–workers-comp-claim-seeks-medical-marijuana