It’s high time we end this cruel prohibition.
Category: Veterans
Seventy-nine percent of veteran respondents and 92 percent of their family members said, “Veterans Administration doctors should be legally allowed to recommend marijuana to veterans if the doctor believes the patient could benefit from [it.]”
“Individuals reported improvements in overall PTSD symptom severity 30 and 70 days after initiating MMJ [medical marijuana] … Moreover, they reported reductions in negative affect and improvements in overall well-being. These findings suggest that MMJ use may be associated with clinical benefits in people with PTSD.”
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), along with 15 other co-sponsors, have reintroduced the Veterans Equal Access Act, or H.R. 2431.
Despite medical marijuana programs being passed or enacted in a supermajority of states, federal policy currently prohibits VA-affiliated doctors from even recommending medical cannabis to veterans in those states where such use is legal — thus forcing military veterans to seek the advice of a private, out-of-network physician.
The House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) will conduct a legislative hearing on Wednesday, October 13th, which will include consideration of the bipartisan VA Cannabis Research Act of 2021, HR 2916.
Presently, V.A. doctors are forbidden from providing the paperwork necessary to complete a recommendation, thus forcing military veterans to seek the advice of a private, out-of-network physician.