Leading U.S. veterans’ organizations are urging the Biden administration to promptly relax federal marijuana laws, aligning with a growing chorus of voices advocating for rescheduling the substance six months after a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Expressing their sentiments in a recent letter, the groups have called upon the Department of Justice, which oversees the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to take swift action.
Highlighting the challenges faced by veterans of the United States Armed Forces when they return home, the coalition, comprising entities such as the Minority Veterans of America, AMVETS, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the American GI Forum, the Blinded Veterans Association and the American Legion, emphasized the importance of offering a broad spectrum of treatments to address both visible and invisible war wounds.
Currently categorized as a Schedule I drug, alongside drugs such as heroin, marijuana is deemed to have a high potential for misuse and no known medical uses. The HHS has recommended moving it to Schedule III, a significantly less-restrictive classification.
In October 2022, President Joseph Biden initiated a review of the federal cannabis policy, and insiders anticipate a formal decision from the DEA imminently, possibly within the upcoming weeks.
Although the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department isn’t allowed to refuse medical care to veterans who use cannabis in states where it is legal, the agency doesn’t cover prescriptions or offer medical cannabis as a treatment. Last year, a joint recommendation from the Defense Department and the VA advised against cannabis use for PTSD.
However, the veterans’ coalition argues that their members need this option, pointing to an American Legion survey where 82% of participants expressed a preference for federally approved medical marijuana treatment. The coalition underscored that without DEA action, many veterans are reluctant to discuss marijuana use with their VA clinicians, fearing repercussions.
Acknowledging the lengthy administrative scheduling procedure, the groups stressed the advantages of the DEA’s quick reclassification, which could include incorporation into the VHA, the biggest healthcare system in the nation.
Their appeal coincides with mounting Congressional efforts to reform federal marijuana policies. Bipartisan lawmakers from both chambers have proposed numerous bills related to cannabis and veterans, such as enabling VA providers to prescribe medical cannabis in legalized states and mandating marijuana studies on veterans with PTSD and chronic pain.
Public opinion increasingly favors cannabis legalization as well, as evidenced by a Gallup survey indicating that 70% of U.S. adults support it, including a significant number of younger voters and most Republicans.
A cohort of Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, recently pushed the DEA to take marijuana off of scheduling entirely, highlighting this as a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the Biden administration to take action.
Any change to the classification of cannabis at the federal level is likely to result in some improved regulatory environment for cannabis companies and ancillary businesses such as Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. (NYSE: IIPR) as the red tape that goes with this industry can be stifling at times.
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