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Bill would lift ban on VA doctors advising patients on medical marijuana
The Washington Examiner ^ | November 21, 2014 | Kelly Cohen

Posted on 11/22/2014 8:49:59 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

A new bill aims to make it easier for veterans to talk to their doctors about medical marijuana.

The Veterans Equal Access Act, introduced Thursday by Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. and Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., would lift a ban Veterans Affairs doctors face that prevents them from giving opinions or recommendations on medical marijuana to veterans living in states where its use is permitted.

"Post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury are just as damaging and harmful as any injuries that are visible from the outside," Blumenauer said in a statement, according to the Huffington Post. “Sometimes even more so because of the devastating effect they can have on a veteran's family. We should be allowing these wounded warriors access to the medicine that will help them survive and thrive, including medical marijuana, not treating them like criminals and forcing them into the shadows. It's shameful."

The bill has 10 bipartisan cosponsors from states that both do and do not have medical marijuana legalized.

"Millions of Americans suffer from PTSD and chronic pain, but our veterans are even more adversely affected by these conditions, and yet we fail to treat them with the same level of respect," said Mike Liszewski of Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group. "Veterans must be given the same rights and healthcare options that we give other Americans, especially where medical marijuana is concerned."

23 states permit the use of medical marijuana; ten of them allow doctors to recommend its use for PTSD-related symptoms.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: advice; ban; marijuana; va

1 posted on 11/22/2014 8:49:59 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: SheLion; Eric Blair 2084; -YYZ-; 31R1O; 383rr; AFreeBird; AGreatPer; Alamo-Girl; Alia; altura; ...

Score one for the good guys!

Nanny State PING!


2 posted on 11/22/2014 8:50:24 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (The mods stole my tagline.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Right. turning millions of vets into potheads is going to help.

Much like pornographers the potheads are psychotically compulsed to drag everyone else into their insane world.


3 posted on 11/22/2014 8:54:42 PM PST by Seruzawa (Gully Foyle is my name, and Terra is my nation)
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To: Seruzawa

The VA will be happy to have marijuana users disarmed.


4 posted on 11/22/2014 9:09:43 PM PST by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Score one for the good guys!

What?

Did you read the article?

As a Vietnam Vet who crashed and burned in a OH-6A heliocopter wreck and who almost died and DOESN'T use drugs to alter my mind, I say BullSh!t!

Sure I have recurring nightmares from 40+ years ago but I'm dealing with it...

No dope for me...

5 posted on 11/22/2014 9:12:12 PM PST by PROCON (Always give 100%...unless you're donating blood.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Thanks for the ping!


6 posted on 11/22/2014 9:15:13 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Let me give everyone a hint. Don’t tell the government A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G


7 posted on 11/23/2014 7:08:07 AM PST by Shimmer1 (Conservative. Because we can't all be on welfare.)
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