Medical marijuana is going to be available at Veteran's Affairs clinic in 14 states where the drug is legal according to new federal guidelines.
The guidelines will be distributed to the VA's 900 care facilities around the country in the next week.
The 14 states with medical marijuana laws include Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
In addition, the District of Columbia also has a medical marijuana law in place.
The new guidelines that will be issued next week are meant to clarify the current VA policy that states veterans can be denied pain medication if they use illegal drugs such as marijuana.
While the new rules do not authorize VA doctors to begin prescribing medical marijuana, it will allow veterans in VA clinics to allow the use if it has already been prescribed by other clinicians.
The new order will also give VA doctors the right to modify a veteran's treatment plan if they feel the medical marijuana may have a bad interaction with other drugs.
New York Daily News: "For years, there have been veterans coming back from the Iraq war who needed medical marijuana and had to decide whether they were willing to cut down on their VA medications," said John Targowski, a legal adviser to the group Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access.
Medical Marijuana licenses issued for Providence, Rhode Island by Medical Marijuana Inc.
Comments
I am Combat Rated 4 PTSD. I suffer from chronic pain too. I have a Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Card. Every VA doctor lately has asked me about my use of MM, how I have reduced my pain meds and have reduce and change my phyc drugs to use LESS thanks to Medical Marijuana.
Also thanks to the folks at hotwcharities.com I have had a guiding hand along the way because the VA has not helped.
4 the ptsd MM has been a god send. When my symptoms come up I medicate and spend looking at the beauty of life and I am able to turn my mind away from those things that I would rather not dwell on. I served in the Vietnam War; when I see the new new young bloods at the VA it breaks my heart. They have the same 1,000 mile stare, war-gaming everything. Just the ability to fall asleep would be nirvana. The Medical Marijuana Program has helped me and I'm sure It will help other vets.
I am glad the Obama folks did the right thing, my brothers deserve access to any medication that may help them.
This article is false. The memo that was sent out by the Undersecretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs does not mention anything about VA facilities actually dispensing it. Please cite your sources for this information other than other incorrect articles that don't cite their sources.
The actual VA memo can be found here. www.austinhiphopunderground.com/cannabis-sativa-a-k-a-marijuana/the-department-of-veterans-affairs-eases-penalties-for-medical-marijuana-use-for-their-patients/
It's about time. Thank you VA.
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It's really good to see that the VA is allowing our injured heroes this option. There are MANY reports of injured vets and other Americans being able to reduce their use of narcotic pain killers and other dangerous drugs simply by using the natural remedy, marijuana. Thank you, VA, for a job well done!
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Just had surgery at Tripler and the medical staff started questioning me if I had tried it and if I had tried to get certified for it after administed moriphine,two roxies and a shot of Darvan during recovery from surgery. Can the VA use this information against me. When asked why they were asking me these questions about MM,I was told that it was required since I was in so much pain after my surgery. Is this legal for them to ask this while in so much pain and while in the recovery room?
I wish James A. Haley in tampa florida would resort to MM because all of their lip service and over medication of psych. drug will stop and many of them could resort to reawlly working and stop playing games with the veterans.
The government is NOT prescribing nor dispensing marijuana.
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