Foresters to Inhale Marijuana Users

By Allison Bell

News December 09, 2019 at 03:10 AM

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The Independent Order of Foresters has infused the marketing effort for its non-medical life insurance policies with cannabis energy.

The Toronto-based fraternal has updated its non-medical life insurance underwriting guidelines to allow for life insurance coverage for people who make occasional or regular recreational use of marijuana.

Foresters uses the term "non-medical life insurance" to refer to life insurance sold through an underwriting process that involves no use of in-person medical exams.

Foresters does require applicants for non-medical coverage to answer many lifestyle and medical questions, such as questions about alcohol usage and chest pain.

The company now says in its life insurance underwriting manual that, assuming an applicant is healthy and meets other coverage eligibility requirements, it will accept applicants who use marijuana for recreational purposes six or fewer times per week.

The company will consider daily marijuana users, and applicants who use marijuana for medical purposes, on a case-by-case basis.

Matt Berman, Foresters' chief distribution officer, said in the underwriting change announcement that Foresters made the decision in response to state moves to allow use of cannabis.

—Read So, WHY Is That Insurance Applicant Using Cannabis?, on ThinkAdvisor.

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