CEO and cancer survivor wants to make medical cannabis an employee benefit

Emily Fisher, the CEO and founder of virtual cannabis-based care clinic Leafwell, was first introduced to medical cannabis during her first round of breast cancer treatment after using a cannabis-infused tincture to manage her pain. 

"I found a lot of relief through cannabis, but I found it as a last resort," Fisher says. "I was in the hospital in a lot of pain and relying on opioids when I finally tried it. I was stunned at not only how effective it was, but also at how misunderstood it was." 

Now a two-time breast cancer survivor, Fisher channeled her own experience into Leafwell, which she founded in 2019. The platform offers a subscription-based program organizations can add as a voluntary benefit, giving employees access to telehealth consultations with medical providers experienced in cannabis-based care, as well as personalized care plans and product recommendations tailored to employees' needs. Employers can also cover medical cannabis as a voluntary benefit, by paying for the subscription-based service or providing exclusive product discounts.  

"I spent some time working in the cannabis industry before starting Leafwell where I met hundreds of patients," Fisher says. "I created this program as an answer to some of the challenges those patients faced with the goal to increase access, education and [resources.]" 

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Despite the positive impact it had on her cancer journey and recovery, Fisher felt as though she couldn't talk about using cannabis as a form of treatment with her oncologist, and found there was no real medical guidance around dosing. Yet research has shown that up to 90% of patients who used cannabis to directly treat cancer symptoms reported improvements, according to a recent medical journal published in the National Library of Medicine. 

Through Leafwell, patients can walk through their specific treatment needs, in tandem with other modes of care, Fisher says. While a patient's first touch experience may be with an oncologist, the treatment plan could expand to include additional modes of care.  

"During treatment, while you're feeling the side effects of chemotherapy, you may want to speak to a telepharmacist about adjusting the dosage of the products you're on," Fisher says. "Then, a few months down the road after a mastectomy you could speak to a different specialist about using cannabis to support wound healing. Our platform enables employees to have all of those conversations."

Because cannabis is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug under U.S. federal law, which means it's considered a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,  most insurances will not cover cannabis products. Leafwell has relationships with over 1,000 dispensaries, and can help employees negotiate their out-of-pocket costs. 

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"It is a proxy for reimbursement because full reimbursement for this doesn't exist yet," Fisher says. "But we've been able to negotiate up to 30% of any cannabis product so that when an employee does go to shop, they're still paying less out of pocket." 

Improving access to medical cannabis care also has benefits for employers' healthcare spending: According to Leafwell's data, individuals using cannabis products see a 56% reduction in prescription drug use, including opioids and benzodiazepines. They also experience a 30% reduction in acute healthcare utilization, like urgent care and hospital visits, as well as a 13% reduction in absenteeism among employees using cannabis therapeutically. 

Investing in cannabis care is more than a progressive financial decision, Fisher says; it's the answer to many of the largest challenges organizations are facing and a means to meet the benefit demands of current and future talent. 

"We are living in a time where there's an opioid crisis, mental health is crippling and care for chronic conditions are failing," she says. "These are all issues where cannabis can be extremely helpful and it's why I really believe that we are headed toward a future where cannabis is recognized as a legitimate and reimbursable medicine."