STATEMENT: NCCC’s Dr. Leigh Vinocur on research and continued access to hemp-derived medical therapies
The National Compassionate Care Council Medical Advisory Board supports preserving the current federal hemp framework that enables the CMS Innovation Center's (CMMI) physician-directed cannabinoid demonstration to move forward as intended.
This program is fundamentally different from the broader retail hemp marketplace. It is a carefully designed Medicare demonstration in which physicians determine patient eligibility, oversee treatment through shared decision-making, and use only CMS-compliant hemp-derived products under defined federal standards. Patient outcomes are prospectively monitored to generate high-quality clinical evidence.
The demonstration is designed to answer an important clinical question: can physician-guided cannabinoid therapy safely improve pain, sleep, anxiety, nausea, and quality of life while reducing opioid use, avoidable emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and Medicare spending?
The current evidence supporting cannabinoid therapy is promising. Peer-reviewed research already associates regulated medical cannabis access with a 14.4% reduction in opioid doses filled under Medicare Part D, 23% fewer opioid dependence-related hospitalizations, and an estimated $1 billion in annual Medicaid prescription savings. This demonstration provides the opportunity to test those findings prospectively, within a rigorous Medicare framework, for the first time. Rather than debating these issues in theory, we should allow the demonstration to proceed and let the data guide future healthcare policy.
As physicians, our responsibility is to ensure that decisions affecting patients are guided by evidence. Preserving this demonstration allows that evidence to be generated through careful physician oversight, standardized clinical protocols, and prospective data collection, ultimately informing better care for older Americans.
Leigh Vinocur, MD, MS
NCCC Chief Medical Advisor and Board Member
****
About NCCC: The National Compassionate Care Council (NCCC) is dedicated to modernizing the standard of care and bridging the gap between slow-moving regulations and the patients who need relief now. By prioritizing patients over paperwork, NCCC leverages real-world evidence and expert collaboration to advocate for safe, immediate access to physician-guided cannabinoid therapies for those who lack the benefit of time. Our mission is simple: more healing, less waiting.
