On May 21, 2015,
a historic vote passed, allowing veterans
access to medical marijuana. The Veterans Equal Access Amendment,
which succeeded with a vote of 18 to 12 by the Senate
Appropriations Committee, is
the first positive legislation regarding
access to marijuana granted by the
U.S. Senate.
States that have passed
medical marijuana rights will be allowed to utilize this ruling.
Veteran Administration (VA) doctors now will be able to recommend
medical marijuana. The Veterans Equal Access Amendment was sponsored
by Senator Steve Daines (Rep) and Senator Jeff Merkley (Dem).
Medical Marijuana has shown
to treat multiple conditions faced by veterans.
Depression,
PTSD,
anxiety,
and
chronic pain are a few diseases
for which veterans have sought access
to medical marijuana. It is estimated that every 22 minutes,
a veteran takes their own life.(Source)
A study published in
2014 concluded that PTSD patients who used marijuana showed a 75%
reduction in symptoms.(Source)
Veterans see this as a positive step in restoring first amendment
rights.(Source)
Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24830188
