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October 2022

Health

Will Japan Relent and Legalize Medical Marijuana?

Japan remains the only G7 country that continues to ban both medical and recreational marijuana. Advocates have been pressing for change for years, but to no avail. Perhaps recent recommendation from a health ministry panel might convince lawmakers to at least reconsider medical marijuana. Still, it seems like a long shot.

Marijuana was put on the U.S. Schedule I list of controlled substances in the 1970s. But in Japan, it was banned in the late 1940s. Japanese law provides for heavy fines and prison time for simple possession. Traffickers face more severe penalties.

That being said, Asian attitudes toward medical marijuana are changing. Governments in Asia are slowly but surely warming up to the possibility of using cannabis to treat seizure disorders, like epilepsy. But there is still a long way to go before Japan opens the door to importation and domestic cultivation, let alone possession and sale.

Bringing Japan up to Speed

Health ministry panel recommendations include legalizing the importation of THC-derived medications, including the one FDA-approved medication for epileptic seizures. The panel says that doing so would bring Japan up to speed with the rest of the world. Whether or not getting up to speed is enough incentive remains to be seen.

Japan, like nearly every other Asian nation, holds very tightly to tradition. That’s not a bad thing. Tradition has helped them avoid some very serious issues that plague Western nations. But perhaps in this case, a more open mind is a better option for settling the medical marijuana question.

As for the Japanese population, a 2017 study suggested that fewer than 2% of Japanese adults have ever used cannabis. That is minuscule compared to the 40% in some Western countries.

Qualifying Conditions for Medical Cannabis

If the Japanese government ever does decide to greenlight medical cannabis, it will have to determine the conditions for which it can be used. Otherwise, there will be no way to control what doctors and patients do.

Seizure disorders are at the top of the list simply because there is scientific evidence demonstrating efficacy. Cancer would probably be included as well. Likewise for chronic pain.

Along those lines, an organization known as Utahmarijuana.org says that patients using medical cannabis for chronic pain is the most common us of medical cannabis in the U.S. Cancer and PTSD are also common complaints among medical cannabis users.

Meanwhile, Industrial Hemp Thrives

While Japanese lawmakers continue to wrestle with the medical cannabis question, industrial hemp is thriving. Though tightly regulated, industrial hemp is legal in Japan. Growers cultivate it for a variety of purposes ranging from clothing to rope and implements for Shinto religious observances.

It is unclear how Japan distinguishes between industrial hemp and marijuana. But if they follow the U.S. standard, an industrial hemp plant cannot contain more than 0.3% THC by volume. A plant under that threshold is hemp; a plant above the threshold is marijuana.

It’s also not clear if Japan is facing the same alternative cannabinoid problem that has sprung up in the West. Here in the U.S., growers and manufacturers have figured out how to get alternative cannabinoids like Delta-8 THC into their hemp products without violating the law.

The fact that a Japanese health ministry panel is recommending legalized medical cannabis says something about changing attitudes. Legalization is probably a while off, but given changing attitudes around the world, it’s probably only a matter of time before Japanese lawmakers relent. Until then, they have every opportunity to watch what happens in Western countries as we seek to throw off all the chains from a plant that has been illegal for decades.

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Health

How Does Medicaid Function and What Is It?

Medicaid is a federal health insurance program that provides health coverage to millions of low-income Americans. While each state has rules about how Medicaid benefits beneficiaries, most conditions cover prescription drugs. Additionally, most states cover a range of optional benefits essential to meeting the health needs of Medicaid beneficiaries.

Medicaid is a federally funded health insurance program.

Medicaid is a federally funded health insurance plan that assists low-income individuals in paying for health care services. Some insurers provide a program that also helps low-income people with Medicare pay for premiums and cost-sharing and can provide long-term care that Medicare doesn’t cover.

It provides health coverage to low-income Americans.

Medicaid is the nation’s largest health insurer, providing health coverage to more than 73 million low-income Americans. The program was initially designed as an extension of welfare, but today it is a significant healthcare safety net. It benefits low-income adults and children and spurs innovation in hospitals and clinics. It also contributes to state economies.

States administers it

The federal government oversees the Medicaid program, but each state has its own Medicaid agency that administers and implements state policies. State Medicaid agencies are responsible for establishing eligibility criteria, determining coverage levels, and monitoring service use. These agencies must also comply with federal Medicaid regulations. Furthermore, some states and cities have additional health plans like IEHP to help better serve those enrolled in Medicaid to provide services like mental health services or substance use disorder treatment services.

It is a managed care plan.

Managed care plans are a type of health insurance similar to private insurance. They have rules for accessing health care, and enrollees can only see doctors in the network. They also have primary care providers assigned to them, and this person can make referrals to specialists or authorize non-emergency hospitalizations. The main difference between Medicaid and private insurance is that Medicaid covers all medically necessary care.

It applies both asset and income limits.

To qualify for Medicaid, an applicant must meet the asset and income limits. For example, a single person can only have $16,800, and a couple can have $24,600. Medicaid considers retirement accounts available resources, but the net proceeds from a cashed-out IRA will count as income. To avoid penalties, applicants should put their IRAs in payout status or take the minimum distributions.

It has expanded to adults.

Adults under 65 without dependent children can now receive Medicaid coverage thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Currently, 38 states offer this coverage. In addition, the ACA has also provided additional funds to Medicaid programs.

It expands to pregnant women.

Medicaid will now cover pregnant women up to 12 months postpartum in Maryland. The coverage period will begin on the last day of pregnancy and end on the previous day of the twelve-month postpartum period. This change will improve coverage for a large population segment, including poor, minority, and single women.

It covers adults with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

Medicaid is a government-run healthcare program that covers low-income individuals and families. Its goal is to provide medical coverage for low-income people, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and the disabled. The federal government sets the program’s basic rules, but states are free to expand its coverage to more people or to cover more types of healthcare. Medicaid coverage is now available for adults with an income up to 138% of the federal poverty line.

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