Bipartisan House and Senate lawmakers are refiling bills to legalize medical marijuana for military veterans—the latest in a series of cannabis measures that have been introduced in the week leading up to the 4/20 holiday.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, introduced the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act on Tuesday with 12 cosponsors. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) is leading a companion measure filed on Wednesday.
The bill would temporarily allow veterans to legally possess and use cannabis under federal law, as recommended by doctors in accordance with state law. Physicians with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would also be allowed for the first time to issue such recommendations.
Further, the measure would authorize VA to study the therapeutic potential of marijuana for pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“In 41 states and territories and Washington, D.C., doctors and their patients can use medical marijuana to manage pain or treat a wide-range of diseases and disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder—unless those doctors work for the VA and their patients are veterans,” Schatz said in a press release. “Our bill will protect veteran patients in these jurisdictions, give VA doctors the option to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans, and shed light on how medical marijuana can help address the nation’s opioid epidemic.”
Lee said that as the “proud daughter of a veteran,” she…
