Congress Bayonets Vets in the Back

The US Senate had us on the edge of our seats for the past few weeks, seeming to be poised to do military veterans a solid, and give them access to cannabis for pain, PTSD, and a host of conditions haunting them since serving our country.

Under a funding bill for the Veterans Administration for Fiscal Year 2019, the Senate had approved including cannabis in doctor-administered treatment "with an 85-to-5 vote in June.

The department would not have been able to spend any money enforcing its own internal prohibition on VA doctors filling out medical cannabis forms for veterans in states where it is legal", as reported by Tom Angell at Marijuana Moment.

House Republican leaders blocked Senators from including such language in their final bill.

Cannabis advocate and US Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) excoriated his Republican peers and begged for the wrath of the voters in November for the heartless treatment of brave veterans.

In a statement to MM: "The Senate passed this amendment. It has broad bipartisan support in the House. This should have been a no brainer. Yet, Republican leadership has once again stymied progress toward fair and equal treatment for our veterans. Their continued neglect of commonsense and the will of the American people is a disgrace.”

War Veteran and US Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) did not hold back:

“Our veterans put their lives on the line for our country, and many come home dealing with visible and invisible wounds. To continue limiting their access to quality healthcare through the VA is a disservice to them and the sacrifices they’ve made.”

image source: art Comet