A bi-partisan duo of congressmen from Massachusetts and Florida will co-sponsor a trio of bills that, together, would help make the Department of Veterans Affairs more responsive to veterans who use and are interested in seeking medical cannabis treatments. Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat and former Marine Corps office who fought in Iraq, and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz will introduce the bills in the next legislative session, Moulton announced Wednesday.
Rep. Seth Moulton Prepares Volley of House Bills to Provide Cannabis to Veterans
Despite numerous previous efforts to pass legislation that would grant veterans access to medical cannabis treatments through the VA, the Republican-led House has blocked any significant progress on the issue. There were signs, in mid-2017, that Congress would pass a bill allowing VA doctors to issue medical cannabis recommendations for states with legal medical use. For the first time, the amendment made it out of committee. But a House committee blocked it weeks later, sidelining the legislation entirely.
In response to the legislative failures, veterans sought alternatives, often at high cost. Veterans who disclosed their medical cannabis use to their VA doctors risked losing out on prescription medication and other benefits they earned for their years of military service. Veterans organizations are becoming increasingly vocal about their overwhelming support for marijuana legalization. The momentum led to another push, in late 2017, by House Democrats. The effort led to a small change in VA policy that freed doctors to discuss medical cannabis treatments with patients. But doctors still could not make recommendations.
But it would take almost another year for Senate Democrats to introduce another bill. This time, the “Safe Harbor” bill aimed to shield veterans who legally obtain