Jeff Merkley: Veterans Should Be Able To Discuss Using Legal Cannabis Treatments With Doctors

During a Senate Appropriations Committee markup meeting in July, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) spoke about the use of medicinal cannabis for veterans.

Transcript

00:00Madam Chair. Senator Merkley. Thank you very much Madam Chair and I will have

00:06later the amendment that my colleague referred to to provide a platform for

00:11discussing the challenge we face in regard to the work of this committee and

00:16whether it's going to be undone on a partisan basis. But that's not this

00:20amendment. I'm calling up first of all Merkley number one Veterans Equal

00:27Access Amendment for 10 years. We've gone through this process have approved this

00:34amendment. I'm happy to take a voice vote on it. But essentially it says in states

00:39where cannabis is legal that veterans can talk to their doctors about its

00:45appropriate role in their health care regime. To do otherwise is to restrict

00:55the free speech of doctors to do best by their patients. Which is why this has

01:00been approved time and time again. And here on the 10th anniversary of its first

01:05introduction I'd like to see us approve it again to support our veterans. We were

01:09just talking about the stress they face. Let them in states where cannabis is

01:14legal have a conversation with their doctor about whether there is a

01:19medicinal role that would be important and helpful to them.

01:26Is there further debate on the amendment?