Tagged With: Veterans
Veterans Medical Marijuana Access Legislation Introduced In House and Senate
Today, Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced legislation, The Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act, to expand and facilitate medical cannabis access to military veterans suffering from chronic pain, PTSD, and other serious medical conditions. Under existing regulations, VA doctors are not permitted to fill out the mandatory paperwork necessary to … Continue reading
Survey: Three Of Four Military Veterans Would Consider Using Medical Cannabis
Seventy-five percent of military veterans say that they would consider using either “cannabis or cannabinoid products as a treatment option,” according to member survey data compiled by the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). The organization represents over 400,000 veterans nationwide. Under existing federal regulations, physicians affiliated with the Department of Veteran Affairs … Continue reading
New Legislation Aimed To Reduce Veterans Medical Marijuana Confusion
Just two days after Veteran’s Day, Congressman Seth Moulton has introduced a series of bills aimed at addressing the therapeutic use of marijuana among veterans. Post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, and other medical issues can be a matter of life or death. Moreover, failure of VA policy to allow physicians to openly talk about cannabis or … Continue reading
Grateful and Determined this Veterans Day
This Veterans Day, you will likely read and hear many political leaders paying lip service to honor our nation’s veterans. But as they list out their policy prescriptions, one that directly impacts nearly one-in-four veterans will be suspiciously absent: Marijuana. Post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, and other medical issues can be a matter of life or … Continue reading
Congressional Leadership Strips Provisions Facilitating Medical Marijuana Access For Veterans
Lawmakers have removed language from pending federal legislation that sought to facilitate veterans’ access to medical cannabis in jurisdictions that regulate it. The decision to strip out the Veterans Equal Access Amendment flies in the face of the horrific medical realities that our nation’s heroes who are desperate to mitigate. This move thwarts the will … Continue reading
Republican Rules Committee Blocks Veterans Medical Cannabis Amendments
…for the second year in a row. The House Rules Committee, led by prohibitionist Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX), blocked multiple amendments related to marijuana from receiving consideration by the full House, thus ending their consideration and silencing the ability for the lower chamber to offer either legal protections or expanded access to veterans who use cannabis … Continue reading
Bipartisan Legislation Introduced To Facilitate Medical Cannabis Trials For Veterans
United States Rep. Timothy Waltz (D-MN), along with over 30 bipartisan co-sponsors, has introduced legislation, HR 5520: The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018, to facilitate federally-sponsored clinical research into the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis among veterans. The legislation states: “In carrying out the responsibilities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, … … Continue reading
American Legion: One in Five Veterans Use Marijuana To Alleviate A Medical Or Physical Condition
In a new poll of US service veterans conducted by The American Legion and presented today on Capitol Hill, one in five veterans self-reported using marijuana to alleviate a medical or physical condition. Flanked by lawmakers including Reps Tim Walz, Mark Takano, Julia Brownley, and Matt Gaetz, veterans presented their own personal stories of the … Continue reading
House Committee Blocks Veterans Equal Access Amendments
Two weeks ago, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 24-7 to include the Veterans Equal Access amendment, introduced by Senator Daines (R-MT) as part of the 2018 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which would expand much needed medical marijuana access to our nation’s veterans. Yet House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) … Continue reading