U.S. Senate Approves Bill to Give Veterans Access to Legal Medical Cannabis
The United States Senate today passed the FY2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill, which includes language that would allow Veterans Administration
(VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis to their patients in states where medical cannabis is legal.
“Veterans in medical marijuana states should be treated the same as any other resident, and should be able to discuss marijuana with their doctor,” says Michael Collins, deputy director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “It makes no sense that a veteran can’t use medical marijuana if it helps them and it is legal in their state.”
The Veterans Equal Access Amendment was introduced with bipartisan support by Senator Steve Daines of Montana and Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon. The funding bill will now be negotiated with the House’s version as part of an omnibus spending bill.
“On this eve of Veterans/Armistice Day where we remember those who served in the military and the treaty agreement to reach peace concluding WWI, we see this victory as a step toward a peace treaty with the government we volunteered to defend with our lives and as a step toward restoring our first amendment rights and dignity as citizens of the United States, ” said TJ Thompson, a disabled Navy veteran.
Currently, the VA specifically prohibits its medical providers from completing forms brought by their patients seeking recommendations or opinions regarding participation in a state medical cannabis program. The approved bill would authorizes VA physicians and other health care providers to provide recommendations on the use of medical cannabis to veterans who live in medical cannabis states.
– TheJointBlog
donnie harmon
v. a. doctors had me on 270 pills a month for pain, with me smoking pot im down to 20 pills a month. if i had more pot to smoke i would not any pills. I`m 40% disable
demond perry
Good to hear!
christopher shafer
That’s great but what about veterans who dont live in a legal zip code..screw them I guess.im a 100% disabled iraq vet who refuses to take the va’s pills and would like to try something more natural to help my pains,and ptsd/tbi.so that I could have a easier time dealing with anxiety everytime I have to leave my house.i don’t deserve to try medical marijuana because ohio doesn’t care about veterans and won’t legalize it for medical use.
Bryan
That’s right Chris….those of us who live in a state that couldn’t care less will continue to suffer. I live in Virginia where you will go to jail for ANY amount. I’m 90% and suffer every day with pain, can’t sleep, and cannot find relief even with pills. I stopped using in fear of losing my job and VA benefits because of the laws and because of that, I am hurting 100% of the time. It’s ridiculous that someone can tell me what and what not to put in my body.
Loreen Chesnes
NOT GOOD ENOUGH! THE VA SHOULD PRESCRIBE MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND DISPENSE IT TO US! Nothng less is acceptable.
I jumped off the horror that is the VA trying to push so many harmful medications at me and it got to the point… THAT MY PHYSIATRIST DROPPED ME AS A PATIENT BECAUSE SHE CUT OFF MY DIAZAPAM, COLD TURKEY AFTER 6 YRS AND FOR THAT 6 YEARS I DID TRY EVERY INSANE MEDICATION THEY THREW AT ME, EVEN LITHIUM, AND SAID IF I DIDN’T TAKE ANY OF THE SSRIS SHE WANTED ME TO TAKE THAN I THERE WAS NO REASON TO STAY IN TREATMENT BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO PRESCRIBE THE DIAZAPAM!!!
So I jumped off that silliness and turned to my civilian Doctor who takes proper care of me. He and my VA PCP work together for me. My Civilian Doctor perscribes me diazapam but I am at least trying to taper off now. My back pain finally got so bad after 5 years I needed to start a pain medication. The VA Would NOT prescribe me anything stronger than Ibruprofen 800mgs up to 4 times a day and it finally killed my stomach lining. So now I am on a very low dose of diazapam AS NEEDED which is really not very often at all, probably because I don’t have to worry about being cut off AND My Pain Medication is doing the job as well as can be expected as my doctor and I want to keep the mgs as low as we can. BUT I WANT OFF OF NARCOTIC PAIN MEDICATION!!! So I am going to try Medical Marijuana. It is LEGAL IN NJ but OMG talk about rules and regulations. It’s another nightmare and the cost is insane. I am not using it yet. I DID NOT PAY MY ELECTRIC BILL OR BUY FOOD THIS MONTH SO I CAN PAY FOR THE DOCTOR. I SEE HIM THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER and then there is the cost of the Medication. SO NEXT MONTH I WILL NOT BE BUYING FOOD AND PROBABLY NOT PAY MY PHONE BILL AND IF NEED BE CUT OFF MY INTERNET AND TV.
It’s ok though as long as they FAT CATS eat up the money and enjoy their lives! I will do what I have to but not take 3 or more POISON medications. And Yes I think SSRIs are Dangerous and Poison.