As the legalization of medical marijuana spreads throughout an increasing number of states (although we’ll be waiting here in Florida for the issue to come before voters once again), questions about the coverage that will be provided in areas such as health and homeowners insurance have started to arise from consumers.

Consumers now want to know if their homeowners insurance will pay out if their medical marijuana plants are ever destroyed by a house fire or are stolen by thieves. There have been questions with regards to liability if a child should ever be hospitalized after having taken a treat infused with the drug without having received permission. Overall, people want to know if they are seen as a greater risk because they are growing the plants on their properties.

According to the marketing director of Enservio, Scott Lacourse “Whichever side you fall on, pot is here to stay,” adding that “When you have someone like (PBS travel TV host) Rick Steves blogging that we should be allowed to have pot, it’s really in the mainstream.” Enservio is a company based in Needham, Massachusetts which assists property insurance companies in being able to process homeowners claims.

So far in the U.S., there are twenty three states, as well as the District of Columbia, that have made marijuana legal with a doctor’s prescription. Colorado and Washington have also legalized the drug for recreational use as of 2012. A growing number of other states and individual cities are also in the process of considering legalization for various kinds of use.

In fact, voters in Alaska, Washington D.C., and Oregon – where medical marijuana is already allowed – will be making a decision in November with regards to whether or not the drug should be legalized outright for adult use. The law in Alaska already permits adults to have small amounts of the substance in their homes under the right of privacy in the state’s constitution. In Florida, voters decided against its legalization for medicinal purposes. More than a dozen cities will also decide whether or not to remove penalties for possession of small amounts of this substance.

Source:  LiveInsuranceNews