The Veterans Equal Access Act — reintroduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday — would give doctors in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leeway in recommending the use of medical marijuana to military veterans.
The law as it currently stands prohibits VA doctors from advising patients to use cannabis for medical purposes. While more than 20 states allow the medical use of marijuana, only 10 states and Guam authorize doctors to prescribe it as treatment for PTSD.
“Post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury can be more damaging and harmful than injuries that are visible from the outside,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a co-sponsor of the bill, told the Associated Press. Other co-sponsors include Reps. Sam Farr (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Justin Amash (R-MI), and Tom Reed (R-NY).
“And they can have a devastating effect on a veteran’s family. We should be allowing these wounded veterans access to the medicine that will help them survive and thrive, including medical marijuana — not treating them like criminals and forcing them into the shadows. It’s shameful,” Blumenauer said.