Senate Approves Bill That Allows Veterans to Access Medical Marijuana in the United States

Merely a few months ago, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected (by just 3 votes) a draft bill made by a bi-party coalition. The bill requested that military veterans who needed to, should be able to receive treatment using medical cannabis and have the same rights as the rest of the citizens in 23 states where medicinal marijuana has been legalised.

However, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved in May (by 18 votes to 12) an historic amendment aimed at allowing doctors to prescribe medical cannabis to military personnel who really need it, provided that they are in one of the states where it is permitted. Last tuesday, the Senate passed the FY2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Bill, which includes language to allow Veterans Administration (VA) doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their patients in states where medical marijuana is legal. 

Michael Collins, member of the 'Drug Policy Alliance', believes that veterans in those states should be able to receive the same treatment as any other residents and should be entitled to discuss with their doctors whether medicinal marijuana is necessary or not. "They have bravely served this country, so now the least we can do is to allow them to have open discussions with their doctors", he stated.

Up until now, the Department for Veteran Affairs has not allowed military personnel to have access to this type of medication. This is despite the fact that almost 30% of those who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffer depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder is what most affects them. Some research confirms that medical cannabis can help to reduce symptoms and make possible a better quality of life.

This bill has been achieved amounts to a significant victory and a big step forwards for those who have been fighting for years within organisations, associations and political parties. This is the first time that the House has voted positively on a matter related to marijuana regulation (in this case for medical use), which, still does not have support on a federal level.