Schatz Revives Bill That Would Give Military Veterans Access To Medical Marijuana

[TexasTowelie]

Last edited Sun Apr 18, 2021, 03:37 PM - Edit history (1)

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz reintroduced a bill on Friday that would allow doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans in states that already have established medical marijuana programs.

The Senate bill, officially called the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act, would create a temporary five-year window for veterans to use medical marijuana. It also would direct the VA to research how medical marijuana impacts veterans trying to manage chronic pain and if it could help reduce opioid abuse.

“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,” the Hawaii Democrat said in a press release.

Hawaii is one of those states; in 2000 it became the first to legalize medical marijuana.

Read more: https://www.civilbeat.org/beat/schatz-revives-bill-that-would-give-military-veterans-access-to-medical-marijuana/

[Mickju]

1. When I lived in Honolulu Brian Schatz lived down the hall from me.

He and his wife were very nice and had their first child while they were living there. I talked to him about politics a few times in the elevator. I think it was around 2004 if I remember correctly. He has been a good senator. I wish he were my senator now since I live in Oklahoma. (yuck)