FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are so many questions surrounding marijuana these days, as several states have already legalized THC for recreational use and most of the others have legalized it for medicinal purposes. When you are thinking about life insurance, you might wonder whether or not life insurance companies test for marijuana use.

Does life insurance test for THC? How does the life insurance medical exam work? Are there marijuana-friendly insurance companies? Continue reading below to learn everything about life insurance and marijuana use.

Understanding the Medical Exam

does life insurance test for THCThe first thing that you need to understand is how the insurance medical exam actually works. If you want life insurance coverage, first, you will need to apply for life insurance. You will fill in all of your personal information, your health information, and even your financial information on this insurance application. In most cases, when you apply for life insurance, you will need to undergo a comprehensive medical exam.

The use of nicotine products, alcohol, and legal or illegal drugs are definitely part of this exam process and you will want to be absolutely honest on your application. The only thing that will happen if you are too honest is you will be denied insurance coverage or have to pay a higher premium. If you lie on the application and the insurance companies find out, they may cancel your policy altogether, and any payments you made to the insurance company are going to be forfeited.

If you are concerned about admitting to marijuana use because you live in a state where it is illegal, whether recreationally or medicinally – or both – you don’t have to worry. For one thing, insurance companies cannot disclose information because of privacy policies but no insurance company in their right mind would turn their clients in.

Regardless of whether or not you use THC, they need you to be completely honest. If you feel you can’t be honest with your insurance company, you should not buy life insurance. Lying on your application is fraud and can lead to denied claims (or worse).

Generally, you will have to have a medical exam and it is quite comprehensive. The first thing that the provider is going to do is take your entire medical history. It is important that you be as accurate as you can. You may have to call relatives to find out about family history regarding health issues. The provider will also take your blood pressure, check your heart rate, and get other body measurements.

You’ll also be asked about your lifestyle. This is where marijuana use comes in. Again, be as honest as you can. The provider will ask if you have high-risk hobbies like jumping out of planes and about your smoking, drinking, and drug use. Finally, a blood sample will be taken and a urine sample will be required. Yes, urine will be tested for marijuana as that particular drug can stay in your system for about 30 days.

Marijuana Friendly Insurance Companies

There are some marijuana-friendly insurance companies out there and finding them isn’t actually that hard. You can usually look online and get some user recommendations and in states where marijuana is legal, the insurance company may actually advertise that they are willing to write policies even if you’re a marijuana user. If you choose the company right from the start that is willing to work with you and doesn’t care about your marijuana use as far as insurance goes, you will definitely be happier down the road.

Here are a few of the companies that other people have been able to get policies with and still be honest about their marijuana use:

  • American General
  • Genworth
  • Lincoln Insurance
  • MetLife Insurance Company
  • Minnesota Life
  • Prudential Transamerica
  • United of Omaha

How to Get a Good Rate as a Marijuana User

Once you decide on a few companies that you know are marijuana-friendly, you will want to go to each one and get a quote to find out which company offers the best deal. Just because a company is marijuana friendly doesn’t mean that you should choose it if it has a bad rate. Make sure that you are doing your research so that you can save money and still be able to live your lifestyle the way you want.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get the best rates on life insurance even if you use THC:

  1. Tell your agent that you use marijuana. Be completely honest, and upfront about your use. Remember, they are going to check for marijuana anyway, so you have nothing to lose by being honest. If the agent seems judgmental or if you are made to feel uncomfortable then just leave and go to a different agent.
  2. Disclose to the agent how often you use marijuana. If you are a daily user, then make sure that he or she knows that. If you are just an occasional user, it is even more important to give them that information.
  3. Tell the agent what your reasons are for using marijuana. This is actually a very important step and it may get you a lower rate with marijuana-friendly insurance companies. If you’re using it for pain management or another medicinal purpose, then let them know. If you are simply using it for recreational purposes, you’re going to want to tell them that as well.
  4. Describe to the agent how you use marijuana. Do you smoke marijuana rolled inside a paper (joints) or do you prefer to use a bong or pipe? Some people don’t even use marijuana through inhalation but instead, have it in baked goods. In stores that sell marijuana in legal states, these baked goods are quite prevalent. Regardless, the method in which you use marijuana might have an effect on how much your insurance rates will be.

Remember that term life insurance is going to be much cheaper than other permanent forms of life insurance, like whole life insurance. If you are finding that life insurance is simply too expensive for you to afford, compare quotes for different lengths of term life before you give up. Any life insurance is better than no life insurance. Getting a shorter length term policy can actually save you a lot of money in the long run.

Final Word on Life Insurance and Testing for THC

Most life insurance companies do a test for THC or marijuana use. The bottom line here is that you can still get a good rate on a life insurance policy even if you use marijuana. It is much better, however, to research different insurance companies until you find one willing to accept marijuana users than it is to pick an insurance company and find out later in the application process that they don’t accept marijuana users.

To start comparing life insurance quotes today, scroll back up to the top of this page and enter your zip code. By using our quote comparison tool, you will be able to request quotes from multiple life insurance companies in your area.

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