- About About
-
Medical
Medical
Medical Patient Resources Cannabis Care Certification Patient's Guide to Medical Cannabis Patient's Guide to CBD Talking to your doctor Become a Legal Medical Marijuana Patient The Medical Cannabis Patient’s Guide for U.S. Travel Guide to Using Medical Cannabis Cannabis Tincture, Salve, Butter and Oil Recipes Arthritis and Medical Cannabis Cancer and Medical Cannabis Chronic Pain and Medical Cannabis Gastrointestinal Disorders and Medical Cannabis HIV/AIDS and Medical Cannabis Movement Disorders and Medical Cannabis Multiple Sclerosis and Medical Cannabis Aging and Medical Cannabis Veterans and Medical Cannabis Medical Marijuana Conditions in Your Area Growing Cannabis Tracking Treatment & Gathering Data with Releaf App Medical Professional Resources Medical Cannabis Continuing Medical Education (CME) Cannabis Safety Medical Cannabis Research
- Legal Legal
-
Advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy ASA Chapters Start an ASA Chapter Take Action Campaigns No Patient Left Behind End Pain, Not Lives Vote Medical Marijuana Medical Cannabis Advocate's Training Center Resources for Tabling and Lobby Days Strategic Planning Civics 101 Strategic Messaging Citizen Lobbying Participating in Implementation Movement Building Organizing a Demonstration Organizing Turnout for Civic Meetings Public Speaking Media 101 Patient's History of Medical Cannabis
-
Policy
Policy
Policy Policy Positions Model Federal Legislation Download Ending The Federal Conflict Public Comments by ASA Industry Standards Guide to Regulating Industry Standards Recognizing Science using the Data Quality Act Data Quality Act Briefs Fact Sheet on ASA's Data Quality Act Petition to HHS ASA Data Quality Act petition to HHS Information on Lawyers and Named Patients in the Data Quality Act Lawsuit Reports 2021 State of the States Cannabis and Cannabis Resin- Critical Review Preparation Document Medical Cannabis in America
- News News
- Join Join
-
-
Veterans Equal Access Amendment Would Allow Veterans Administration Physicians To Recommend Medical Cannabis
In a landslide vote, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations voted to the add the Veterans Equal Access Amendment (VEAA) to the FY2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilConVA) Appropriations bill, which sets the budget for the Veterans Administration (VA). The VEAA would end the current gag order preventing VA physicians from recommending or even discussing medical cannabis to veterans in states where medical cannabis programs exist. The bi-partisan amendment was introduced by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and succeeded by a vote margin of 18-12.
The victorious vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee is nothing short of historic for medical marijuana patients. Although states have been implementing their own medical marijuana programs since 1996, the Senate has never officially weighed in on the subject. Now the Senate Appropriation Committee has done so by affirming that the gag order on V.A. physicians should be lifted.
An amendment containing similar provisions to today’s VEAA amendment received 210 votes in the House Representatives in April, failing by only 3 votes. VEAA’s inclusion in the MilConVA budget creates a path for it to be included in the final version that will be submitted to President Obama. Currently V.H.A. Directive 2011-004, explicitly forbids VA physicians from filling out recommendation forms for state medical marijuana programs or even discuss medical marijuana benefits with the veterans in their care. Under current policy veterans who are dependent on the V.A. for their health care are denied equal access to state medical marijuana programs or even an honest conversation with their doctor. The VEAA would forbid the VA from using any funds to punish physicians who write recommendations or discuss benefits of medical marijuana therapy with their patients.
We at ASA are thrilled that Senator Daines and a majority of his committee colleagues stood up for the rights of V.A. doctors and the well being of our combat veterans who put their lives on the line for this country. Veterans disproportionately suffer from a number of conditions that can be effectively treated with medical marijuana, such as chronic pain, PTSD, phantom limb syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and cancer from battlefield exposure to carcinogens, just to name a few.
The CARERS Act contains provisions that would end the VA gag order permanently, unlike the VEAA amendment that would only apply to Fiscal Year 2016. The CARERS Act is co-sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
“Today the Senate Appropriations Committee has just restored the rights of Veteran to have an honest dialogue with his/her physician about the benefits and risks of medical cannabis," said Scott Murphy President of Veterans for Safe Access and Compassionate Care. “Veterans throughout America will benefit because of this vote.”
Further information:
ASA Analysis of Veterans Equal Access House Amendment: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/veterans_equal_access_house_amendment
ASA CARERS Act Petition:
Share