Introduction Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) has reimbursed cannabis for medical purposes (CMP) since 2008. However, to date little is known about the characteristics of Veterans authorized for CMP, and whether these differ by authorization amount.

Objectives To descriptively summarize social, health, and other characteristics of Canadian Regular Force Veterans authorized to receive CMP from Veterans Affairs Canada.

Methods A linked database of CMP authorizations was developed using VAC reimbursement files, VAC client records, and military personnel data. Analyses were limited to 13,173 Regular Force Veterans residing in Canada with an active authorization as of December 31, 2020. CMP authorization amounts (mean and categorical) were summarized by sociodemographic factors, pensionable conditions and benefits, and military service characteristics.

Results Overall, the average amount of a CMP authorization among Canadian Veterans was 3.6 grams/day. For sociodemographic characteristics, the highest average amounts were observed among Veterans who were aged 30 to 39 years (4.2g/day), male (3.7g/day), separated/divorced/widowed (3.8g/day), and residing in the provinces of New Brunswick (4.7g/day), Newfoundland and Labrador (4.1g/day) and Manitoba (4.1g/day). For conditions documented as part of the VAC benefit process, the highest average amounts were observed among Veterans with mental health (3.9g/day) and hearing loss conditions (3.7g/day). For military service characteristics (sub-sample of 9,200 Veterans) the highest average amounts were observed among Veterans with a more recent release year, peaking in 2016 (4.2g/day); and among those who were Junior Non-Commissioned Members (4.0g/day), had served in the army (4.0g/day), and released from the military involuntarily (4.8g/day).

Conclusion This descriptive epidemiology provides new insights on the characteristics of a large population of veterans with medical cannabis authorizations in Canada. This will be used to inform further research on associations between CMP authorizations and wellness outcomes among military veterans.