The US House of Representatives has approved legislation – the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2027 – which includes language allowing physicians associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs to officially recommend medical cannabis to military veterans in states where its use is legal.
The provision, introduced by Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chairs Brian Mast (R-FL), Dina Titus (D-NV) and David Joyce (R-OH), addresses a long-standing barrier facing America’s veterans. Under current federal policy, Veterans Affairs doctors are legally prohibited from providing cannabis recommendations to their patients, even in states where medical marijuana is permitted. As a result, many veterans are forced to seek out private – often prohibitively costly – physicians in order to participate in these programs.
The House-approved language reflects growing bipartisan recognition that veterans should not be denied access to medical cannabis simply because they primarily receive healthcare through the VA system. Approximately one in ten military veterans report using cannabis, and nearly half say they do so for therapeutic purposes – such as to manage chronic pain and symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress.
Allowing VA physicians to recommend medical cannabis in accordance with state laws ensures that veterans can access regulated, lab-tested products through licensed providers instead of relying on the unregulated market. It also strengthens the relationship between veterans and their healthcare providers by allowing patients to discuss cannabis use openly and honestly within the VA system.
Most military veterans and their family members say that the Department of Veterans Affairs should provide medical cannabis treatment to eligible patients. Seventy-five percent of veterans say that they “would be interested in using cannabis or cannabinoid products as a treatment option if it were available.”
Last year, both chambers of Congress included similar provisions in their respective military funding bills. Nonetheless, the language was inexplicably left out of the consolidated bill
The FY27 bill now advances to the Senate, where lawmakers will decide whether to retain the provision in the final appropriations package.
NORML’s legislative alert supporting the inclusion of this provision is available in the Take Action Center. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana and Veterans Issues.’
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