Columbia Care announces medical cannabis subsidy program expansion to Virginia

Columbia Care Inc. has expanded its medical cannabis subsidy program, Share Well/Care Well, to eight states, including Virginia.

The Share Well/Care Well program, which launched in 2019 and formerly known as Adopt-a-Family, provides financial subsidies to Columbia Care patients in need. These subsidies are funded by a portion of revenue from the Company’s stores, as well as donations from patients, customers and employees.

To date, over 200 patient subsidies have been issued in six states. Columbia Care is working to expand the program to all medical markets by 2022, pending regulatory approval.

Eligibility for the Share Well/Care Well program is determined by financial need. Examples of requirements include monthly medical cannabis expenses exceeding 15 percent of monthly household income, or the annual household income falling below 138 percent of the federal poverty line.

“Legalization has not caught up to recognize and act on the need for financial assistance in this industry,” said Ngiste Abebe, Vice President of Public Policy at Columbia Care. “We’re talking about patients who are depending on this natural plant instead of addictive pharmaceuticals for their pain relief. Patient access is a cornerstone of our public policy work and we believe that financial needs should never stand in the way of life-changing medical cannabis. This program exemplifies the power of how the cannabis community supports each other.”

As one patient in New York said, “I have multiple sclerosis that confines me to a motorized wheelchair and suffer with severe muscle spasms that cause crippling pain. The best and only medication that helps me is the medical marijuana from Columbia Care. Since taking the tablets, I get great relief and can have less pain which lets me be able to socialize and not be shut-in and isolated. This has been a blessing. Being on a small, fixed income, the program has helped me continue taking my medical marijuana.”

A full list of criteria, as well as the online application, can be found on the program website. To learn more about the program and see a list of participating dispensaries, visit www.sharewellcarewell.com.