Paul Armentano
WASHINGTON, DC — Two prominent military veterans groups are demanding
federal officials take steps to increase medicinal cannabis access.
At their annual convention, members of the American Legion called on Congress
to remove cannabis from its schedule I classification and to promote
federal research into the plant’s use as a potential treatment for
post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. With nearly 2.5
million members, the American Legion is the largest veterans advocacy
organization in the United States.
A second military veterans
group, American Veterans (AMVETS), resolved at its mid-August annual
meeting to “support a veteran’s right to use medical cannabis
therapeutically and responsibly, in states where it is legal, if
prescribed by a board certified medical professional.” The group has
some 250,000 members.
Under federal law, VA doctors are not
permitted to recommend cannabis therapy to veterans, even if they reside
in states that permit medical marijuana. In May, majorities in both the
US House and Senate voted
to include language in the 2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs
and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to permit VA doctors to
recommend cannabis therapy.
However, Republicans sitting on the House
Appropriations Committee decided in June to remove
the language from the bill during a concurrence vote. At present, the
fiscal year 2017 funding bill still remains pending before Congress.
Clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of cannabis in the treatment of PTSD are ongoing in both the United States and in Canada.
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