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https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomang...na-policy-for-military-veterans/#5e00fbc85b90
One of the tragedies of the war on drugs that continues to play out, despite great strides in the fight against unjustified prohibition, have been those who rely on the VA. Our veterans with PTSD and other relevant conditions, not having access to legal medical cannabis. And as is often the case with these sorts of things at the national level, the policy memo simply gives a thumbs up to something that has already happened for the most part, and it's merely a softening of their previous position rather than actual policy change. Doctors were already discussing this with their patients at the VA, doing everything short of prescribing it. Nothing in writing of course. But discussing the benefits with patients who have relevant conditions, and leaving them to make the decision to buy cannabis on the unregulated black market.
The article is critical of the VA for being so timid on the issue, for shifting blame to national laws and claiming they can't legally prescribe or research medical cannabis due to the Controlled Substance Act. The article claims this is not actually true , but rather an excuse. Personally, I don't blame the VA so much. They have to consider where they get their funding from and how many are relying on them. It really shouldn't be up to them to push the issue, especially with Jeff Sessions still being a factor. This is probably as good as they can do, and the fact they released the memo in the first place tells me they're trying to make as much of a statement on the issue as they safely can. While it doesn't change anything, I believe its another sign that the times are a changing and a meaningful change on the national level is possible, and possibly not too far in the future.
The directive urges government doctors to "discuss with the Veteran marijuana use, due to its clinical relevance to patient care, and discuss marijuana use with any Veterans requesting information about marijuana."
However, the policy reiterates the department's long-held position that "to comply with Federal laws such as the Controlled Substances Act...providers are prohibited from completing forms or registering Veterans for participation in a State-approved marijuana program."
V.A. Misstates Federal Law
In fact, no provision of federal law blocks the department from allowing its doctors to fill out medical cannabis recommendation forms in states where it is legal, even under continued federal prohibition.
In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a federal ruling finding that doctors have a First Amendment right to recommend medical cannabis to patients, as long as they don't actually provide marijuana.
One of the tragedies of the war on drugs that continues to play out, despite great strides in the fight against unjustified prohibition, have been those who rely on the VA. Our veterans with PTSD and other relevant conditions, not having access to legal medical cannabis. And as is often the case with these sorts of things at the national level, the policy memo simply gives a thumbs up to something that has already happened for the most part, and it's merely a softening of their previous position rather than actual policy change. Doctors were already discussing this with their patients at the VA, doing everything short of prescribing it. Nothing in writing of course. But discussing the benefits with patients who have relevant conditions, and leaving them to make the decision to buy cannabis on the unregulated black market.
The article is critical of the VA for being so timid on the issue, for shifting blame to national laws and claiming they can't legally prescribe or research medical cannabis due to the Controlled Substance Act. The article claims this is not actually true , but rather an excuse. Personally, I don't blame the VA so much. They have to consider where they get their funding from and how many are relying on them. It really shouldn't be up to them to push the issue, especially with Jeff Sessions still being a factor. This is probably as good as they can do, and the fact they released the memo in the first place tells me they're trying to make as much of a statement on the issue as they safely can. While it doesn't change anything, I believe its another sign that the times are a changing and a meaningful change on the national level is possible, and possibly not too far in the future.