Senators introduce marijuana amendments to NDAA bill

Senators have introduced a pair of marijuana amendments to a large-scale defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act NDAA Cannabis-related amendments, proposed for Senate version of the NDAA, which legalizes medical cannabis for military veterans and pressuring them to do so.

The Senate bill, the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act that he sponsors, was reported by Marijuana Moment after Sen. Brian Schatz D-HI introduced an amendment that mirrors the language of a standalone bill, the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act.

What if these measures come into law?

One of the measures would allow veterans to legally possess and use marijuana under federal law, as recommended by doctors in accordance with state law. The VA doctors would also be allowed to issue such recommendations for the first time.

It would require the VA to study marijuana's therapeutic potential for pain and reduce opioid misuse. The text said that Congress must provide as many funds as necessary to carry out the investigation.

Sens. Jacky Rosen D-NV and Cynthia Lummis R-WY have filed an amendment to the NDAA that expresses the sense that veterans should not be denied access to Department of Veterans Affairs home loans on the basis of income derived from State-legalized cannabis activities. Many veterans are denied access to home loans on the basis of income derived from state-legalized cannabis activities, according to the amendment.

The senators said that the VA should improve communication with eligible lending institutions to reduce confusion among lenders and borrowers on this matter. Last week, Sen. Ron Wyden D-OR filed measures that would prevent the denial of federal security clearances for people over cannabis use at any time, while the other would limit the protection only to people who admit to past use prior to entering national security vetting.

One of the amendments to the Senate's amendments states that the use of cannabis by individuals will not be determinative to adjudications of the individual's eligibility for access to classified information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position. Wyden is sponsoring the other one, with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand D-NY focusing on past cannabis use.