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MMJ and SSDI question

milily
milily
Does anyone know if social security disability income can be taken away because a person starts MMJ ? MMJ is legal in my state , but federal laws are different and SSDI is a federal program. I was granted SSDI in 2008 and get reviewed every 4 years.
LeoX3
LeoX3
Ouch, good one, Mlilly! I am also interested to know. MMJ is no-go here but SSDI may be in future for me. Bumping this to keep it high on the page.
WhiteDolphin
WhiteDolphin
That is a good question. A lot of people do not know that even though MMJ might be legal in some states, it is still against the Federal law. and Federal overrides State.

I really don't know the answer.
ItsJustMe2012
ItsJustMe2012
That is one of the things that there is no concrete answer to. A lot will depend on your medical records. As long as you are following what is required by law in your state regarding it, you may not have any problems. I say may not, because as you've stated SSDI is a federal program & marijuana has no acceptable use under federal law.

It may be of help if your dr has documented your level of function before you began the MMJ and afterwards. A lot will also depend on if you get the long or short CDR.
ItsJustMe2012
ItsJustMe2012
Sorry, I hit add too soon.

Personally, I believe it is a gamble. It isn't that you could be denied continued benefits just because of the MMJ. It is that if the conditions you're approved on improve to the point you no longer meet the criteria for disability and/or if SSA sees evidence that the MMJ is the reason you're not able to work, that could cause the benefits to stop.
skinnybinny
skinnybinny
SSD is Federal and you don't want them to know you're breaking any federal crimes - period!

This is not only a federal issue but can get you kicked out of pain clinics.

I'm all for MJ over pharmaceuticals but you have to weigh all the benefits before you decide to go that route.
ItsJustMe2012
ItsJustMe2012
skinnybinny makes good points. The majority of pan managment drs and clinics will fire a patient if they test positive for marijuana. There is nothing to distinguish MMJ from that which may be illegal in a state in drug screens. All marijuana is against federal law. If a patient isn't concerned about breaking federal law when it comes to marijuana, even if it is MMJ and it is legal in your state, it says you may break other laws regarding drugs. Also pain contracts state no other dr is to treat you for your pain. Getting what is needed to get a MMJ card is accepting treatment from another dr.

As I said before, it is a gamble. And if you gamble, you need to be ready to not be able to find any dr who will treat your pain with any pain meds or other meds.