Medical marijuana to be OK in some VA clinics

[GRITS]

By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer – 45 mins agoWASHINGTON – Patients treated at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics will be able to use medical marijuana in the 14 states where it's legal, according to new federal guidelines.

The directive from the Veterans Affairs </span>Department</span> in the coming week is intended to clarify current policy that says veterans can be denied pain medication if they use illegal drugs. Veterans groups have complained for years that this could bar veterans from VA </span>benefits</span> if they were caught using medical marijuana.

The new guidance does not authorize VA doctors to begin prescribing medical marijuana, which is considered an illegal drug under federal law. But it will now make clear that in the 14 states where state and federal law are in conflict, VA clinics generally will allow the use </span>of </span>medical</span>marijuana</span> for veterans already taking it under other clinicians.

"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," John Targowski, a legal adviser to the group Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, which worked with the VA on the issue.

Targowski in an interview Saturday said that confusion over the government's policy might have led some veterans to distrust their doctors or avoid the VA </span>system</span>.

Dr. Robert A. Petzel, the VA's undersecretary for health, sent a letter to Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access this month that spells out the department's policy. The guidelines will be distributed to the VA's 900 care facilities around the country in the next week.

Petzel makes clear that a VA doctor could reserve the right to modify a veteran's treatment plan if there were risks of a bad interaction with other drugs.

"If a veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the veteran from receiving opioids for pain management" in a VA </span>facility</span>, Petzel wrote. "The discretion to prescribe, or not prescribe, opioids in conjunction with medical marijuana, should be determined on clinical grounds."

Opioids are narcotic painkillers, and include morphine, oxycodone and methadone.

Under the previous policy, local VA clinics in some of the 14 states, such as Michigan, had opted to allow the use of medical marijuana because there no rule explicitly prohibiting them from doing so.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are 14 states and the District of Columbia with medical marijuana laws. They are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. New Jersey also recently passed a medical </span>marijuana </span>law</span>, which is scheduled to be implemented next January.

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Online:

Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.va.gov/

Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access: http://www.veteransformedicalmarijuana.org/

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[LT.Smoke]

I think that is a good idea to have access to. As long as it is not abused and the usage and sale of it is closely prescribed to those who need it.

[RidiculousSPL]

Agreed, think this is great as long as it's monitored and well kept up with

[GRITS]

Not only do our Veterans need to have access to this, but those suffering from cancer as well.

[sqsux]

I think that is a good idea to have access to. As long as it is not abused and the usage and sale of it is closely prescribed to those who need it.

Agreed, think this is great as long as it's monitored and well kept up with

it will be be abused.

[El1T3Bass]

it will be be abused.

yeeeeaaa, i hate to say it.... but it will be

[TeamHT]

you know, i have nothing against marijuana smokers, myself being one, but i do find it annoying and a copout to say i have pain, i need weed. we wouldnt say my back hurts and i need a line or two. just think people need to be much more honest about their real reasons. i am in no way a pothead, and smoke maybe....once or twice every couple of months. but i do like my stuff. it is legal on a state level here in alaska for personal use. i smoke but i know its wrong. i think legalizing it in any form would be bad and just show a demoralization of our country. just because i do something bad doesnt mean i dont know it is bad.

[Shyne151]

Two of my good friends that were in the marines are both treated by marijuana... Id hate to see how they are without it after hearing the shit they've done/seen in Iraq.

So don't just say people are asking for it for "pain".

Edited July 27, 2010 by Shyne151

[GRITS]

Two of my good friends that were in the marines are both treated by marijuana... Id hate to see how they are without it after hearing the shit they've done/seen in Iraq.

So don't just say people are asking for it for "pain".

[sqsux]

I don't want to offend any one, especially war vets, but there is absolutely no reason anyone should have to smoke pot to cope, or deal with pain. there are other ways. I hate the idea of drugs, if pot saves your life from cancer, thats one thing, but when you applied for the marines, army, navy, etc. then you should have known what you had ahead of you, and had your way of coping planned out. I'm not saying that anyone deserves to go through anything for being in the line of duty, but I think its retarded that this has been introduced as a way of coping with war. people need to come to terms with things without a crutch, otherwise all they're ever going to know is that crutch, and it most likely will lead into other things and life will never get better.

/rant