Senate Committee Approves Bill Allowing VA to Recommend Cannabis to Veterans in Legal States

The Senate Budget Committee passed a budget last Thursday that includes an amendment that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians to recommend medicinal cannabis to their patients in legal states. It is now moving forward under the approved legislation to fund the VA for fiscal year 2024.

The amendment, passed by ballot, was supported by Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat. This will produce the same results sought in a standalone bill being passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support from Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, and Republican Representative Brian Mast from Florida, who lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan , was reintroduced. Together they are the co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

The more recent measure, which just passed the Senate Budget Committee, “simply states that in states that have a medical cannabis program, a veteran physician can speak to their veteran patient about the pros and cons of medicinal cannabis and fill out the appropriate paperwork, if necessary a.” “A veteran elects to enter a government program that requires such paperwork,” Merkley said.

The amendment has the same outcome as the Veterans Equal Access Act, which has not yet been implemented despite multiple passages in committees and multiple votes by factions with bipartisan (not to mention veteran) support.

In December 2022, a coalition of more than 20 Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) wrote a letter to Congressional leaders begging lawmakers to pass a cannabis and veterans research bill before the end of the previous session of Congress.

“For decades, many veterans have called for medicinal cannabis as an option to treat invisible war wounds and other injuries sustained as a result of military service,” the letter reads. “Veterans and caregivers have consistently shared their anecdotal experiences of how cannabis is an effective treatment in addressing some of the most pressing health issues they face upon their return from war.” Considering what vets are doing for this country say and Americans are now saying that cannabis is safer than alcohol and cigarettes, that’s a more than fair question.

Such legislation was not passed in time. However, thanks to the passage of the latest spending law, veterinarians can now talk to their doctors about medicinal cannabis. Research continues to show the valuable role cannabis can play in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and many other conditions that veterinarians are unfortunately all too familiar with.

Late last year, a study published in the journal Neuropharmacology by Wayne State University researchers showed evidence that low doses of THC help treat adults with PTSD. Although there is already a lot of research on cannabis and trauma, this was the first to examine how THC influences corticolimbic brain activation.

In addition, for veterinarians with injuries or chronic pain, cannabis offers a safer and harm-reducing way to manage such pain, and allows many veterinarians to move away from opiates.

“We remain committed to the VA’s goal of exploring the efficacy of medicinal cannabis to treat veterans with chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries,” the letter continued. “But I’m under the influence of drugs [Food and Drug Administration]Research on the effectiveness of cannabis stagnated, was cumbersome and associated with bureaucracy. State cannabis research faces many bureaucratic hurdles that hamper researchers.”

In related news, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an Iowa Republican, introduced another bill in May that would encourage research into treating conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain within the VA, and that’s just one of many bills , which are currently being passed in Congress .

In April, bipartisan representatives and senators in the House of Representatives also introduced bills legalizing medical marijuana for military veterans. If enacted into law, it would allow veterans to legally possess and use cannabis at the federal level (but subject to state laws) as recommended by their doctor.