U.S. Senate Votes to Give Veterans Access to Medical Marijuana

Last year, the US Senate approved a provision that would allow Veteran Affairs doctors to discuss medical marijuana as an option for certain ailments, but congress did not include the provision within the final spending bill. The bill is back this year and has already been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, now headed to the full Senate. The amendment seeks to connect veterans with their primary care providers and allow them to discuss all medical options, including medical marijuana. The bill would also remove the current system of denying prescription medication to those testing positive for marijuana. Only veterans living in states with legal medical marijuana programs will be effected by this bill.

“Veterans should not be denied access to a medicine that can help alleviate their condition, and doctors must be able to discuss and recommend all treatments,” Michael Collins, deputy director for the Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs, said in a statement. “They have served this country, and shouldn’t be discriminated against.”