Doctors at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may soon be allowed to recommend medical cannabis to patients, following the passage of a landmark House spending bill that seeks to align federal veterans’ care with state-level cannabis laws.
The measure, part of the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act, was passed by the House of Representatives on 25 June and formally acknowledged by veterans’ groups and federal health leaders in the week beginning 7 July.
The amendment, known as the Veterans Equal Access Act, would allow VA physicians to discuss and recommend cannabis in states where it is legally approved for medical use. It would also prohibit enforcement of existing VA policy (Directive 1315) that prevents doctors from helping veterans access state-authorised cannabis programmes.
“Veterans need to have options outside of these narcotics,” said Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), the amendment’s sponsor, during debate on the House floor on 25 June 2025.
Mast, a medically retired Army staff sergeant and double amputee, delivered a deeply personal account of his own treatment after being severely wounded by an IED while serving in Afghanistan in 2010.
He described intense withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia and emotional volatility—after returning home, and argued that many veterans remain trapped in a system that prioritises narcotics over alternative care.
The amendment passed by voice vote, co-sponsored by Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.
Alongside the cannabis provision, the House approved a separate amendment directing the VA to begin planning for the future delivery of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Introduced by Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), a retired Marine Corps general, the measure would require the department to identify infrastructure and regulatory changes necessary to integrate federally approved treatments such as MDMA and psilocybin.
At a hearing in late June, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told lawmakers the VA is already involved in 11 clinical trials related to psychedelic-assisted therapy and that the Department is ‘working very hard’ to accelerate access.
The MilCon-VA Appropriations Act now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is expected to begin review following the July 4 recess. If the amendment survives the reconciliation process and becomes law, it would mark the first time federally employed doctors are permitted to recommend cannabis to patients.
Under current law, cannabis is defined as having ‘no accepted medical use,’ a classification advocates have long argued is outdated in light of state-level reforms and emerging scientific evidence.
The Veterans Health Administration serves more than 9 million veterans across 1,400 sites of care. Under current VA policy, patients often face a difficult choice: pursue cannabis treatment and lose VA clinical support, or remain within the system and forgo access to a potentially beneficial therapy.
Veterans’ groups, including the American Legion, welcomed the House vote in their 7 July bulletin, stating that the bill provides “a long-overdue framework” for offering evidence-based, non-opioid alternatives to veterans.
The post US House Votes to Allow VA Doctors to Recommend Medical Cannabis in Landmark Veterans Health Bill appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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The measure, part of the fiscal year 2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act, was passed by the House of Representatives on 25 June and formally acknowledged by veterans’ groups and federal health leaders in the week beginning 7 July.
The amendment, known as the Veterans Equal Access Act, would allow VA physicians to discuss and recommend cannabis in states where it is legally approved for medical use. It would also prohibit enforcement of existing VA policy (Directive 1315) that prevents doctors from helping veterans access state-authorised cannabis programmes.
“Veterans need to have options outside of these narcotics,” said Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), the amendment’s sponsor, during debate on the House floor on 25 June 2025.
Mast, a medically retired Army staff sergeant and double amputee, delivered a deeply personal account of his own treatment after being severely wounded by an IED while serving in Afghanistan in 2010.
He described intense withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia and emotional volatility—after returning home, and argued that many veterans remain trapped in a system that prioritises narcotics over alternative care.
The amendment passed by voice vote, co-sponsored by Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.
Alongside the cannabis provision, the House approved a separate amendment directing the VA to begin planning for the future delivery of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Introduced by Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), a retired Marine Corps general, the measure would require the department to identify infrastructure and regulatory changes necessary to integrate federally approved treatments such as MDMA and psilocybin.
At a hearing in late June, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told lawmakers the VA is already involved in 11 clinical trials related to psychedelic-assisted therapy and that the Department is ‘working very hard’ to accelerate access.
The MilCon-VA Appropriations Act now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is expected to begin review following the July 4 recess. If the amendment survives the reconciliation process and becomes law, it would mark the first time federally employed doctors are permitted to recommend cannabis to patients.
Under current law, cannabis is defined as having ‘no accepted medical use,’ a classification advocates have long argued is outdated in light of state-level reforms and emerging scientific evidence.
The Veterans Health Administration serves more than 9 million veterans across 1,400 sites of care. Under current VA policy, patients often face a difficult choice: pursue cannabis treatment and lose VA clinical support, or remain within the system and forgo access to a potentially beneficial therapy.
Veterans’ groups, including the American Legion, welcomed the House vote in their 7 July bulletin, stating that the bill provides “a long-overdue framework” for offering evidence-based, non-opioid alternatives to veterans.
The post US House Votes to Allow VA Doctors to Recommend Medical Cannabis in Landmark Veterans Health Bill appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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