The funding bill to end the government shutdown passed by Congress last week made headlines because of provisions that redefine hemp and ban intoxicating cannabinoids, a policy change that threatens a $28 billion industry. But the funding bill is also significant for language that didn’t make it into the measure: legislation that would have allowed Veterans Administration doctors to recommend the use of medical cannabis by their patients.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved spending bills this year that would have done just that, with slightly different language. Under the bipartisan legislation, the VA would have been prohibited using its budget to enforce rules that bar the department’s doctors from recommending medical cannabis to their patients.
Despite approval from both chambers of Congress, however, the provisions to allow VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis were not included in the bill to fund the government and end the shutdown. Cannabis policy reform advocates decried the omission because many veterans seek the benefits of cannabis to help alleviate symptoms of medical conditions caused by their service.
“Denying our veterans access to a medicine that so many use to ease physical pain, or the trauma of PTSD, is straight cruelty,” Adam Smith, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), told Marijuana Moment.
“The absence of this provision is incredibly disappointing, and makes no sense whatsoever,” Fox said in a statement to Marijuana Moment. “It is uncontroversial, revenue-neutral, previously approved by both chambers, and long overdue in order to help veterans find relief.”
Before the Senate voted on the funding bill, Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon offered an amendment that would have added provisions to allow VA doctors to issue medical marijuana recommendations. The amendment, however, was denied a vote on the Senate floor by GOP leadership, the senator told Marijuana Moment.
“Veterans deserve the same access to the full range of medical advice and options that other folks have—including medical cannabis in states where it’s legal,” Merkley said. “Rather than deliver on our nation’s promise to do all we can to support service members, Senate Republicans have once again stripped out my provision that would allow veterans nationwide to discuss this treatment option with their doctor, like any other patient.”
“That’s just plain cruel, and I’ll keep fighting for the millions of Americans who have bravely served our nation,” Merkley added.
The funding bill’s lack of language to allow VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis to their patients comes after the Trump administration signaled a willingness to explore alternative therapies, including the use of psychedelics as a treatment for some mental health conditions. In June, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee to testify about the potential use of psychedelics to treat trauma-related disorders common among combat veterans.
“This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage, if given in a clinical setting. And we are working very hard to make sure that that happens within 12 months,” Kennedy said, responding to a question from House Republican and medically retired Navy SEAL Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas.
“We are launching clinical trials at [the Food and Drug Administration], and there are 11 clinical trials at VA,” Kennedy said, according to a report from Stars and Stripes. “We need to make sure the science on this is solid, particularly for our retired military service members. The preliminary results are very encouraging. There are people who badly need therapy, and nothing else works for them.”