Sen. Brian Schatz is working to progress legislation which would allow doctors in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to prescribe medical marijuana to patients in any of the 36 states that have medical marijuana programs in place.
This measure aims to aid individuals struggling with pain as well as to provide fertile ground for research as to this plant’s prevention of opioid abuse which is common in veterans.
"In 36 states, doctors and their patients have the option to use medical marijuana to manage pain—unless those doctors work for the VA and their patients are veterans. This bill protects veteran patients in these states and gives their VA doctors the option to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans, and it also promises to shed light on how medical marijuana can help with the nation’s opioid epidemic," Schatz wrote in a Facebook post.
The bill has been co-sponsored by a number of senators, including Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
The bill will also institute a five-year safe harbor protection for veterans who do make use of medical marijuana.
Another piece of legislation has been introduced by U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) in the House.