Veterans Urge Congress To Pass VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Bill Before End Of Session

Last week, more than 20 Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) sent a letter to Congress calling for the passage of the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act before the end of the session.

Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and AMVETS, the VSOs want lawmakers to adopt the measure that would require the VA to conduct clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of cannabis for military veterans, reported Marijuana Moment.

“For decades, many veterans have called for medicinal cannabis as an option for treating the unseen wounds of war and other injuries sustained through service,” reads the letter. “Veterans and caregivers have consistently communicated their anecdotal experiences regarding how cannabis offers effective treatment in tackling some of the most pressing health concerns they face upon returning from war.”

According to the letter, the group remains committed to the VA’s purpose of researching the efficacy of MMJ as a treatment for veterans with chronic pain, PTSD, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. “We call on Congress to pass the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act to evaluate the efficacy of cannabis in treating the unseen wounds of war for all veterans,” said the VSOs in the letter.

However, “as a Schedule I drug under the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), research into the efficacy of cannabis has been stagnant, cumbersome, and convoluted with red tape. Federal research into cannabis faces many bureaucratic hurdles that hinder researchers,” the letter continues.

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) and led by Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) passed a House committee last year.

Although Congress left cannabis banking reform out of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), lawmakers urged the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct a study and examine the “feasibility and advisability of conducting a study on the use of certain pharmacologic or potential plant-based therapies as alternatives to prescription opioids for the treatment of PTSD, TBI, or chronic pain.”

Although cannabis and any specific psychedelics were not explicitly mentioned in the explanatory statement, the directive follows the part that addressed two related provisions to the NDAA approved in the House version, concerning both substances.

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Photo: Courtesy of Brett Sayles from Pexels