Marijuana & Military Troops: House lawmakers approve two cannabis-related measures
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House lawmakers approved two amendments to a critical defense spending bill that will address marijuana-related issues in the US military.
The House Armed Services Committee passed both measures for voting during a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) award.
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Panel Reviewing Marijuana Penalties for Soldiers
The first proposal, sponsored by Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD), addresses the standards for sentencing cannabis under the Military Code and seeks that the Military Justice Review Panel “develop recommendations that establish appropriate sentence ranges for offenses that involve the use and possession of marijuana.”
The panel’s mission is to examine how marijuana-related offense convictions compare to “comparable offenses such as alcohol and the overall burden on the military justice system of our current approach to marijuana-related offenses,” according to a press release.
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“Today, cannabis-related agencies are treated harshly compared to other similar crimes,” Brown said. “My amendment does not change current law, but requires our armed forces to review it and make recommendations for possible reforms.”
Another study on marijuana as an alternative to opioids
Rep. Seth Moulton’s (D-MA) other proposal seeks a Department of Defense-led study of how effective cannabis is for certain medical conditions compared to opioids, Marijuana Moment reported.
According to recent studies, cannabis can act as a substitute for prescription drugs, especially opioids, as the trend towards replacing them with cannabis seems to be increasing.
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RELATED: Military veterans can use medical marijuana without losing entitlement to care and services
Earlier this year, Moulton sponsored a bill that would allow VA doctors to discuss medical cannabis treatments with military veterans and would protect veterans who are honest about their marijuana therapy history.
In February, the VA said that while marijuana use is still considered federally illegal, “Veterans’ participation in state marijuana programs does not affect eligibility for VA care and services.” VA providers can and do discuss marijuana use with veterans as part of a comprehensive care plan and adjust treatment plans as needed.”
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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