Medical cannabis patients in Canada will soon have the opportunity to have their medicine covered under a health insurance plan, thanks to Sun Life Assurance Co.

The option will be available through the Toronto-based firm, who insures one in six Canadians, starting March 1. In the company’s press release, Sun Life said coverage will range from $1,500 to $6,000 per year and will apply to medical cannabis received from government regulated providers.

“Medical evidence supports the use of cannabis for some serious and severe medical conditions,” Dave Jones, senior vice-president of group benefits, told The Globe and Mail. “As this has become something our clients have been asking us about more and more, we have moved from the stage of evaluate and review, to now offering it as a benefit for medicinal purposes.”

Jonathan Zaid, executive director of Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM), said the new plan is a step in the right direction, but because it is still an optional add-on it rests on patients’ employers to buy the coverage.