Allow United States Disabled Military Veterans access to medical marijuana to treat their PTSD
- by: Civil Rights and Liberties, Health Care, Veterans and Military Families
- recipient: President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama
We the undersigned
Modern research has proven what disabled Veterans have known for a very long time, Cannabis is an effective medicine. Veterans from the time of the United States Revolution through World War I had legal access to cannabis but in 1942 due to the efforts of a handful of powerful men cannabis was removed from the United States Formulary. Modern science has shown us that the human body makes it's own cannabis like substances called cannabinoids and that these cannabinoids are shown to be involved in various functions throughout the body like pain and anxiety. Marijuana works with this natural body system to ease the symptoms of PTSD giving disabled Veterans a big improvement in their quality of life. We owe our disabled Veterans our freedom, the least we should do is treat their pain and PTSD. ACCESS TO CLINICAL PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS
PARTICIPATING IN STATE-APPROVED MARIJUANA PROGRAMS
1. PURPOSE: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive provides policy regarding access to clinical programs for patients participating in a State-approved marijuana program.
2. BACKGROUND
a. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers must comply with all Federal laws, including the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
b. Veterans who recieve their care from VA and who have a desire to participate in one of several State marijuana programs might ask their VA physicians to complete State authorization forms.
c. State laws authorizing the use of Schedule I drugs, such as marijuana, even when characterized as medicine, are contrary to Federal law. The Controlled Substances Act (Title 21 United States Code (U.S.C.) 801 et al.) designates Schedule I drugs as having no currently-accepted medical use and there are criminal penalties associated with production, distribution, and possession of these drugs. State law has no standing on Federal properties.
d. VHA policy does not administratively prohibit Veterans who participate in State marijuana programs from also participating in VHA substance abuse programs, pain control programs, or other clinical programs where the use of marijuana may be considered inconsistent with treatment goals. While patients participating in State marijuana programs must not be denied VHA services, the decisions to modify treatment plans in those situations need to be made by individual providers in partnership with their patients. VHA endorses a step-care model for the treatment of patients with chronic pain: any prescription(s) for chronic pain needs to be managed under the auspices of such programs described in current VHA policy regarding Pain Management.
3. POLICY: It is VHA policy to prohibit VA providers from completeting forms seeking recommendations or opinions regarding a Veteran's participation in a State marijuana program.
4. ACTION
a. Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management (10N). The Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management is responsible for ensuring that medical facilityy Directors are aware of the prohibition of completing forms for participation in State marijuana programs.
b. Chief Officer Patient Care Services. The Chief Officer Patient Care Services is responsible for providing clinical guidance to VA providers regarding factors to be considered when determining how substance abuse, pain control, or other treatment plans could be impacted by a Veteran's participation in State marijuana programs.
c. Medical Facility Director. Each medical facility Director is responsible for ensuring facility clinical staff are aware:
(1) Of the prohibition of completing forms for participation in State marijuana programs.
(2) If a Veteran presents an authorization for marijuana to a VA provider or pharmacist, VA will not provide marijuana nor will it pay for it to be provided by a non-VA entity. NOTE: Possession of marijuana, even for authorized medical reasons, by Veterans while on VA property is in violation of VA regulation 1.218(a)(7) and places them at risk for prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act.
(3) That if a patient reports participation in a State marijuana program to a member of the clinical staff, that informatin is entered into the "non-VA medication section" of the patient's electronic medical record following established medical facility procedures for recording non-VA medication use.
Ký thỉnh nguyện thưKý thỉnh nguyện thưModern research has proven what disabled Veterans have known for a very long time, Cannabis is an effective medicine. Veterans from the time of the United States Revolution through World War I had legal access to cannabis but in 1942 due to the efforts of a handful of powerful men cannabis was removed from the United States Formulary. Modern science has shown us that the human body makes it's own cannabis like substances called cannabinoids and that these cannabinoids are shown to be involved in various functions throughout the body like pain and anxiety. Marijuana works with this natural body system to ease the symptoms of PTSD giving disabled Veterans a big improvement in their quality of life. We owe our disabled Veterans our freedom, the least we should do is treat their pain and PTSD. ACCESS TO CLINICAL PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS
PARTICIPATING IN STATE-APPROVED MARIJUANA PROGRAMS
1. PURPOSE: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive provides policy regarding access to clinical programs for patients participating in a State-approved marijuana program.
2. BACKGROUND
a. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers must comply with all Federal laws, including the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
b. Veterans who recieve their care from VA and who have a desire to participate in one of several State marijuana programs might ask their VA physicians to complete State authorization forms.
c. State laws authorizing the use of Schedule I drugs, such as marijuana, even when characterized as medicine, are contrary to Federal law. The Controlled Substances Act (Title 21 United States Code (U.S.C.) 801 et al.) designates Schedule I drugs as having no currently-accepted medical use and there are criminal penalties associated with production, distribution, and possession of these drugs. State law has no standing on Federal properties.
d. VHA policy does not administratively prohibit Veterans who participate in State marijuana programs from also participating in VHA substance abuse programs, pain control programs, or other clinical programs where the use of marijuana may be considered inconsistent with treatment goals. While patients participating in State marijuana programs must not be denied VHA services, the decisions to modify treatment plans in those situations need to be made by individual providers in partnership with their patients. VHA endorses a step-care model for the treatment of patients with chronic pain: any prescription(s) for chronic pain needs to be managed under the auspices of such programs described in current VHA policy regarding Pain Management.
3. POLICY: It is VHA policy to prohibit VA providers from completeting forms seeking recommendations or opinions regarding a Veteran's participation in a State marijuana program.
4. ACTION
a. Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management (10N). The Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management is responsible for ensuring that medical facilityy Directors are aware of the prohibition of completing forms for participation in State marijuana programs.
b. Chief Officer Patient Care Services. The Chief Officer Patient Care Services is responsible for providing clinical guidance to VA providers regarding factors to be considered when determining how substance abuse, pain control, or other treatment plans could be impacted by a Veteran's participation in State marijuana programs.
c. Medical Facility Director. Each medical facility Director is responsible for ensuring facility clinical staff are aware:
(1) Of the prohibition of completing forms for participation in State marijuana programs.
(2) If a Veteran presents an authorization for marijuana to a VA provider or pharmacist, VA will not provide marijuana nor will it pay for it to be provided by a non-VA entity. NOTE: Possession of marijuana, even for authorized medical reasons, by Veterans while on VA property is in violation of VA regulation 1.218(a)(7) and places them at risk for prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act.
(3) That if a patient reports participation in a State marijuana program to a member of the clinical staff, that informatin is entered into the "non-VA medication section" of the patient's electronic medical record following established medical facility procedures for recording non-VA medication use.
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