Discrimination Its against the law.  Why is it OK for the disabled Cannabis grower?

The year of the illegal grow ops in warehouses, stealing electricity was a part of the deep black market.  Today, the Cannabis grower is much more sophisticated.  They buy expensive lighting, amendments, pots, trays, timers, heat sensors, and fans.  For those who use Cannabis medically, they fought and won the right to grow their own medicine and have reasonable access because of the Allard case But the fight did not end with the right to grow, the fight STARTED when Insurance companies started sending revised policies that clearly state that you will invalidate your house insurance if you grow and they are refusing new applicants for insurance.

Sorry your application for insurance has been DENIED

Insurance Discrimination

Today I heard of a medical cannabis grower who suffers with multiple sclerosis, and constant arthralgia.  (I will refer to him as Samson for this story)  Samson has a license to grow for himself and is a designated grower for other medical patients.   He was shocked to get another denied application for insurance.  He offered to provide the Insurance companies with an up to date electrical inspection to show that his grow room was safe but EVERY company has said no.  Samson can not afford to buy from the Government run stores as their prices are double what he can grow for. He is at his whits end trying to figure out what to do as he grows outside in the summer, but depends on his inside plants to get him through the Spring and to grow clones for the following outside growing season.

According to the Human Rights Act, we can not be discriminated against due to a disability but this is falling on deaf ears regarding those who are disabled and want to grow in their home.   If we can have a greenhouse that is heated, or start our vegetable plants inside with grow lights, what is the problem?  Show me a house policy that says you are not allowed to grow vegetables or plants in your home. After all it is food.  But Cannabis is medicine for thousands of Medical cannabis users.  They use it daily for pain, Cancer, to sleep and a variety of medical conditions.  The average person will argue that growing vegetables or plants is different but Cannabis is a plant.  Another argument is about fires which were started by people who were not using safe equipment, or stealing hydro, as well as the mould argument.  Insurance companies rarely inspect the homes they insure, but if you are honest and tell them you will be growing Cannabis, it is an automatic rejection.

Fact check:

 

Medical Cannabis growers are being compared to crack houses, and I bet those houses are insured.  When you research how fires are started in the average home you will find:

Each year about 1000 accidents at work involving electric shock or burns are reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Around 30 of these are fatal. Most of these fatalities arise from contact with overhead or underground power cables.  *** but insurance covers this ***

And car accidents:

Canadian Transportation Safety Board estimates that there are 160,000 car accidents occurring each year in Canada — and that 2,800 to 2,900 result in deaths.  **** but you can get car insurance ***

 

And the three leading causes of unintentional injury-related deaths and unintentional injury-related hospitalizations for Canadians are: Falls. Transportation incidents. Poisonings. ***but there is insurance coverage for this ***

Insurance discrimination happens too often.  If able bodied people can grow food in a green house or their home, we need to see policies change regarding people growing their own medicine.  It is legal, and we need to see major changes in all areas regarding Cannabis.

We need to see change.  Medical Cannabis growers should not be discriminated against.  A petition has been launched on Change.org to get the Insurance discrimination of Medical cannabis growers changed.