Veterans’ groups are pushing Congress to open up the access to marijuana as an alternative to conventional medicine, stressing that these drugs cannot treat serious mental conditions.
Two veterans’ service organizations (VSOs), who spoke at a Tuesday joint hearing between the House Veterans Affairs Committee and the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, expressed their support for broader access to plant-based medicine.
Allison Jaslow told committee members that many of them were looking for alternative treatments to the prescription medications they use to treat their war injuries.
“This includes increased access to cannabis therapies,” she stated. There is no way for veterans living in legalized states to be prescribed medical cannabis by their doctors.
Jaslow said IAVA is “looking forward” to the reintroduction of a bipartisan bill—the Marijuana Safe Harbor Act—that would temporarily allow veterans to legally possess and use cannabis under federal law, as recommended by doctors in accordance with state law. VA doctors would be permitted to make such recommendations for the very first time.
Other cannabis legislation aimed at veterans has been introduced in the 119th Congress. This includes a bill by Rep. Brian Mast, co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. His Veterans Equal Access Act allows VA doctors to prescribe medical marijuana in states that allow it.
IAVA also informed committees of its advocacy for the completion a federal marijuana redistribution process, which was started under Biden’s administration. Jaslow added that this is a “call” he hopes members can support.
“IAVA members strongly support access to alternative therapies such as cannabis and while we understand that the administrative scheduling process involves several steps, the sooner the DEA moves forward with a reclassification of cannabis, the sooner it could potentially be integrated into the VHA—our nation’s largest healthcare system,” she said.
In their written testimonies for the hearing, representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and the IAVA also called for access to psychedelics for veterans and research.
Jaslow stated that VA has recently decided to fund research on the treatment of mental conditions using psychedelics.
This came about after hearing for many years from other veterans how the breakthrough in mental health treatment had changed their lives,” said she. The psychedelic treatment is so popular among veterans that many have left their country to seek it.
The data clearly shows that the veterans of today are willing to explore more alternatives to chronic pain, PTSD and other ailments. Our elected leaders must help us make it happen.
Mitch Fuller (chairman of VFW’s national legislative panel) told a joint panel, in response to a Question about Alternative Therapies from Rep. Chris Pappas(D-NH), that his organization “advocates more access to other alternate modalities, so we can tackle mental uniqueness and physical health challenges”.
“These include psychedelics such as MDMA, psilocybin, ibogaine, ketamine infusion and cannabis—which includes medical marijuana and hemp-derived consumables which were made legal by the 2018 federal Farm Bill,” he said.
“We requested that VA provide veterans with every tool in its arsenal. Move beyond merely studying the effectiveness of these tools, and if they work—and we’re confident that they do—start executing the implementation of these options,” Fuller said. The pharmaceutical cocktail option for defaulting on loans is harmful to many in the room, and also those who are watching. It must stop. “Our lives are on the line.”
Alfred Lipphardt shared the perspective of his VFW organization on drug policy reform through written testimony. Lipphardt noted that “some veterans choose alternative approaches for treatment of PTSD”, including marijuana and ketamine.
He said: “The VFW is of the opinion that if additional treatments are found to be effective in treating PTSD then VA funding should be allocated to study them. If they prove to work, we will urge a rescheduling to treat mental issues, and hopefully reduce suicide rates.”
At previous hearings held last month, other VSOs addressed the policy on marijuana and psychedelics. They urged lawmakers to keep exploring alternative therapeutic options as well as expedite their access to them if it’s proven that they are effective.
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Kristie Gaianopulos provided the image element.