Veterans Who Rely on VA for Health Care Can't Get Medical Ma

[Puffin13]

Veterans Who Rely on VA for Health Care Can't Get Medical Marijuana

A story out of New Mexico yesterday sheds light on the dilemma facing many veterans who could benefit from medical marijuana and rely solely on the Department of Veterans Affairs for their health care.

Taking guidance from the DEA, the VA does not allow its doctors to recommend medical marijuana. Those who do will face civil and criminal penalties, in addition to the loss of their license. (Veterans can still try to obtain a recommendation from an outside physician.)

This policy is unchanged in states where medical marijuana is legal, such as New Mexico, where the most common affliction of those enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program is post-traumatic stress disorder—something experienced by one in five returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to 2008 study.

As readers of this blog are well aware, there’s been a great deal of research and patient testimony showing medical marijuana to be effective at relieving the effects of PTSD.

But rather than help veterans access such safe and effective treatment, the VA’s current policy, according to one veteran, has forced many sufferers of PTSD to rely on more addictive prescription drugs, or self-medication with alcohol and other dangerous substances.

Is this really how we want to treat the veterans of our armed services?

Source

[cantona7]

my late father was a vet of the vietnam war. the va was ok/good to him...but our insurence co on the other hand has not. they rejected covg for a procedure my dad had for his cancer and now my mom may have to pay univ of washington $70k out of pocket. he payed his premiums too.

and thats some bs about vets not being able to get mmj. these guys fought for our country. they deserve some respect!!!

[DazedandConfusedinOR]

No surprise really. Marijuana is a Schedule 1 controlled substance and thus illegal under federal law. States that allow medical marijuana are actually acting in contradiction to federal law. The VA is a federal institution and thus cannot recommend the use of marijuana. All doctors can do in states that allow medical marijuana is say that marijuana could possibly help mitigate the symptoms of various ailments and then recommend that the patient be allowed to use it medically. However, VA patients who live in states that allow medical marijuana can use their own funds.

Personally I don't believe that marijuana should be on the Schedule 1 controlled substances list. This is the foremost issue that needs to be overcome.