House Committee rejects bipartisan spending bill amendment that improves veterans’ access to medical marijuana

Through Nina Zdinjak

The House Rules Committee on Monday rejected bipartisan spending law changes aimed at improving veterans’ access to medicinal cannabis on procedural grounds.

Another proposal that would allow protections for people using marijuana in government-subsidized public housing was removed before the panel could vote on it.

Photo by Samuel Branch via Unsplash

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Committee members had many disputes, including disagreement over whether it is appropriate to advance policy reforms over spending laws. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Oh) tried to defend the intent, to which end he even revised the amendment after discussing it with the House legislator.

The submitted version of the amendment would prohibit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from using its resources to request specific policies that prevent VA physicians from recommending medical marijuana to veterans. The measure would not require VA to allocate money in any particular way or change its rules, but it would have prohibited it from spending its money to advance specific marijuana policies.

RELATED: Military veterans can use medical marijuana without losing entitlement to care and services

The news follows a package of bills approved by the House of Representatives as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Brian Mast’s amendment codifies Virginia physicians’ ability to discuss medical marijuana and recommend it to veterans.