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Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Give Veterans Access to Medical Marijuana

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    A trio of Senators from both parties introduced a bill that would make it legal for Veterans to have access to medical marijuana in the states that currently have those laws on their books. Veterans are currently prohibited, even in states where medical marijuana is legalized for medicinal purposes, from obtaining a prescription from their doctors.

    Without getting into a debate about whether marijuana should be legalized or not, I am interested to see what everyone thinks about a veterans right to have access to medicinal marijuana in the states where it can be prescribed. I personally have no problem with allowing veterans to have access to the same things that non-veterans have access to. Do you agree or think that the law shouldn't be changed?
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    I have no problem with this at all. These veterans should be able to take advantage of the laws in their states as much, if not more, as any other law abiding citizen.
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    Richard1022 Wrote: I have no problem with this at all. These veterans should be able to take advantage of the laws in their states as much, if not more, as any other law abiding citizen.
    I agree. There's no reason Veterans should be prohibited from something that anyone else with a qualifying medical condition can partake in.
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    I can't imagine a single reason why a vet wouldn't qualify, but a non-vet would. In fact, I can actually imagine the exact opposite. PTSD as an ailment that marijuana could help medicate comes to mind.. Do you happen to know what the official justification is for this reasoning? ... actually, my guess is that, like pro athletes, the armed forces carry stricter rules for their members than a civilian. That would make them more beholden to the federal Schedule 1 classification than any given state's medical classification.

    IF that be the case, what about vets in Washington or CO? Can they purchase and use weed like a normal citizen of the state? Or would they get drug tested by the VA anyways, and get in trouble/lose out on coverage if they were found out?
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    J.K.Logic Wrote: I can't imagine a single reason why a vet wouldn't qualify, but a non-vet would. In fact, I can actually imagine the exact opposite. PTSD as an ailment that marijuana could help medicate comes to mind.. Do you happen to know what the official justification is for this reasoning? ... actually, my guess is that, like pro athletes, the armed forces carry stricter rules for their members than a civilian. That would make them more beholden to the federal Schedule 1 classification than any given state's medical classification.
    I don't get it either, but that's the case in so many states that have medical marijuana laws.

    The legal justification is that there is still a Federal prohibition on marijuana and it's classified as a Schedule I drug with no potential for medicinal use. We all know that argument no longer holds up, but the Federal Government is a little slow at addressing it.

    That's why I think this bipartisan legislation is a good first step. It would allow states with medical marijuana laws to come out of the shadows and in turn would allow VA doctors in those states to begin prescribing marijuana in the same way non VA doctors in those states have been for years.
    J.K.Logic Wrote: IF that be the case, what about vets in Washington or CO? Can they purchase and use weed like a normal citizen of the state? Or would they get drug tested by the VA anyways, and get in trouble/lose out on coverage if they were found out?
    That's a good question. I don't think there's any set policy about that issue. Since it's available for recreational use then a vet can go pick it up at a store in the same way every other person of age can. I don't have an answer for the vets who are under 21 in those states though.
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    It took over a year, but the Congress has finally passed a bill that will allow veterans to access medical marijuana through the VA. However, veterans will have to wait until the end of the year when the vast Fiscal Year budget is finalized.

    This is great news for veterans suffering from PTSD and various other ailments that medical marijuana has been proven to help ease. I wish these veterans didn't have to wait until the end of the year since they have already been waiting for years to get this approval, but I guess it's better than Congress continuously stalling on the issue.

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    I am happy the sea change toward marijuana is happening. BUT.. living through it seems to be taking forever! Put in historical context, all of these changes are happening super fast. But I just want to fast forward to the time where its just plain jane legal everywhere. All these artificial hoops everyone is having to jump through and wait for is ridiculous.