Posted on 07/24/2010 10:16:38 AM PDT by LonelyCon
The Department of Veterans Affairs will formally allow patients treated at its hospitals and clinics to use medical marijuana in states where it is legal, a policy clarification that veterans have sought for several years.
A department directive, expected to take effect next week, resolves the conflict in veterans facilities between federal law, which outlaws marijuana, and the 14 states that allow medicinal use of the drug, effectively deferring to the states.
The policy will not permit department doctors to prescribe marijuana. But it will address the concern of many patients who use the drug that they could lose access to their prescription pain medication if caught.
Under department rules, veterans can be denied pain medications if they are found to be using illegal drugs. Until now, the department had no written exception for medical marijuana.
This has led many patients to distrust their doctors, veterans say. With doctors and patients pressing the veterans department for formal guidance, agency officials began drafting a policy last fall.
“When states start legalizing marijuana we are put in a bit of a unique position because as a federal agency, we are beholden to federal law,” said Dr. Robert Jesse, the principal deputy under secretary for health in the veterans department.
At the same time, Dr. Jesse said, “We didn’t want patients who were legally using marijuana to be administratively denied access to pain management programs.”
The new, written policy applies only to veterans using medical marijuana in states where it is legal.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
These folks have no idea of the harm they are doing........
Take it from one who worked drug abuse in law enforcement.
Next month they’ll allow “medical” cocaine and “medical” child-porn
“Under department rules, veterans can be denied pain medications if they are found to be using illegal drugs.”
That’s not fair. It takes a lot of marijuana, alcohol, and Zanax to take the edge off a week-long binge of meth.
But “medical” morphine and oxycontin are not only legal, they’re downright good for you!
Well, I don't know if they will allow us 'little people' such extravagances.
But, they already are doing that for 'important' federal employees and appointees. In the interest of 'National Security', ya know.
Once: ¨They Made Me A Criminal¨
Now: Smoke-it-up at Joe´s Jointz
If they keep voting for socialists, they get socialists.
Ever know of a conservative administration raiding grocery stores?
And of course, that’s posted in the wrong thread. *blushes*
how about a “medical” private home. Or a “medical” freedom to peacefully treat your disease in your own home.
Many in Africa think the cure to AIDS is sex with a baby... is that medical freedom too?
Smoking weed /= baby rape, no matter how much you wish it did.
LOL, a good stint in jail does wonders!
Nothing better to make someone find the right path and not ingest any non-state approved intoxicants.
They have just as much evidence for their claim
Yeah. Because there’s no drugs in jail.............../s
You're an idiot. Cannabis has been used as herbal medicine for millenia. You can make an argument vis-a-vis its relative efficacy compared to modern drugs, but to say that cannabis does not have a long history of use as medicine is just flat-out ignorant.
If it CURED cancer, but made people high, some of the moral authoritarians here would still want it banned.
“If it CURED cancer...”
If it cured cancer the FDA would ban it.
“Many in Africa think the cure to AIDS is sex with a baby... is that medical freedom too?”
This makes no logical sense, but that’s fine.
Personal and private use of medical marijuana, by terminally ill patients doesn’t harm another person like having sex with a baby. Arguably, it doesn’t harm ANYONE else.
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