Veterans pro cannabis medicinal

This is the first standalone marijuana reform bill to pass and be given a vote in the legislature.

In a flurry of votes before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Tuesday, house lawmakers voted to advance plans to increase research on the medical benefits of cannabis, reported the Military Times.

Legalization advocates have enjoyed past victories with the passage of amendments attached to larger legislation, today’s legislation is the first standalone bill that has ever passed.

“Hundreds of marijuana reform bills have been filed in Congress in recent years, but none have ever been given a vote, until now,” said Marijuana Moment’s Tom Angell.

The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 will allow the agency to conduct long overdue research into the medicinal efficacy of cannabis. It will allow permit research into the therapeutic value of the plants compounds for the benefit of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.

VA officials have said in recent years that federal rules regarding MMJ research have limited their ability to properly examine it. Lawmakers are hopeful this new measure will silence those concerns and provide definitive data on how cannabis can be helpful to suffering veterans.

Studies will examine “varying methods of cannabis delivery, including topical application, combustible and noncombustible inhalation, and ingestion.”