FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 14, 2016

Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Measure That Would Allow VA Physicians to Recommend Medical Marijuana to Veterans

The bipartisan appropriations amendment is intended to ease access to medical marijuana for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, serious injuries, and other debilitating conditions

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved an amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill that is intended to ease access to medical marijuana for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, serious injuries, and other debilitating conditions.

The amendment, authored by Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), would prohibit the spending of funds on enforcement of a Veterans Health Administration directive that prohibits VA physicians from recommending medical marijuana to their patients, even in states that have made it legal.

“Monitoring patients’ medication decisions and engaging in frank conversations about treatment options are core aspects of the doctor-patient relationship,” said Robert Capecchi, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. “The current policy flies in the face of those objectives. It does nothing to help our veterans, but can potentially hurt them.”

If enacted, VA physicians would no longer face penalties for discussing medical marijuana with their patients or completing the paperwork patients must submit in order to participate in state medical marijuana programs. Currently, veterans in states with medical marijuana laws must find a doctor outside of the VA system to discuss medical marijuana as a treatment option and provide the requisite documentation.

“This measure removes unnecessary barriers to medical marijuana access for the men and women who have volunteered to serve in our armed forces,” Capecchi said. “It will save veterans time and money, and it will allow them to have more open and honest discussions with their primary care providers.”

In order to become law, the full Senate must approve the appropriations bill, the House must adopt similar language in its Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, and the president would have to sign it. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a similar amendment last year, but it was not included in the final spending bill.

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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 10 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.

Visit www.mpp.org for more information.