Veteran’s Affairs Can No Longer Enforce MMJ Ban

Another watershed moment in the cannabis movement happened somewhat under the radar. The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed a bipartisan amendment by a vote of 18-12 that would increase the ease of access to cannabis for veterans. This is a big deal.

Currently, VA (Veteran’s Affairs) hospitals and doctors are banned from even discussing medical cannabis with their veteran patients as an option. They cannot fill out forms for medical cannabis authorization and they cannot even suggest it as something a patient might consider. This holds true even in states that have fully legal medical cannabis access.

This ban likely hearkens back to the federally illegal status of cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic, which means highly addictive and no known viable medical uses (both of which are patently untrue regarding cannabis, but that’s a fight for another article). Theoretically, veterans in medical cannabis states could visit another doctor and, perhaps, get access to cannabis, but for many of these men and women, the VA hospitals are their first and only medical care.

This move may also be in response to a growing body of evidence that hints at cannabis being a significant help to people who suffer from PTSD, many of whom are veterans. Michael Collins, policy manager of the Drug Policy Alliance, stated, “Veterans in medical marijuana states should be treated the same as any other resident, and should be able to discuss marijuana with their doctor and use it if it’s medically necessary. They have served this country valiantly, so the least we can do is allow them to have full and open discussions with their doctors.”

While not an outright free-pass for veterans to get cannabis, the amendment disallows the VA from using federal funding to enforce the ban. There are probably more hurdles to cross before this issue is finally, fully solved, but this is a big step in clearing the way for smart access to marijuana.

Regardless of your political views or your status of agreement on the reach of US military presence across the globe, the men and women who serve deserve to be taken care of if they are injured in the line of duty. PTSD may not be a physical malady, but it’s just as traumatic, if not more so.

Punishing these wounded soldiers simply to uphold an unfair and inaccurate law is a slap in their faces. They risked their lives for their country and its citizens. I think some more politicians can stand to risk a little legislative angst to see that veterans don’t wake up one day wondering why the country for which they have sacrificed much has left them to twist in agony.