President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Consultant Doug Collins (R-GA) to guide the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The choice has sparked discussions about how the company would possibly deal with medical hashish points, given his inconsistent observe document on the difficulty, as reported Marijuana Second.
Collins’ Document On Hashish
Throughout his time in Congress, Collins opposed efforts to broaden entry to medical hashish for veterans. Between 2014 and 2016, he voted towards three proposals that might have allowed VA medical doctors to suggest hashish to their sufferers.
See Additionally: Trump’s Cupboard Decisions: Will His Administration Help Or Limit Hashish?
Collins’ views started to shift in 2019. He supported the STATES Act, which might shield state marijuana applications from federal interference, and co-signed a letter with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), urging Congress to take motion on hashish coverage.
“We imagine this Committee and this Congress should act to make clear the rights and obligations, relative to hashish, of people, physicians, companies, medical sufferers, and legislation enforcement officers,” they wrote.
Later that 12 months, Collins backed a bipartisan invoice to guard banks that serve marijuana companies in states the place it’s authorized. Nevertheless, he didn’t participate in a 2020 vote on federal hashish legalization.
Collins’ Stance On Psychedelics
On the subject of psychedelics, there is not a lot recognized about Collins’s stance. Nevertheless, his shifting views on hashish coverage trace that he might be open to exploring totally different approaches.
Hashish At The VA
VA coverage has lengthy prohibited its medical doctors from recommending hashish, citing marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I managed substance below federal legislation. This stance has remained constant throughout each Republican and Democratic administrations, regardless of rising assist for change in Congress.
Current efforts to handle this concern embody a Senate Appropriations Committee request for the VA to discover hashish as an alternative choice to opioids. Lawmakers have additionally launched measures that might enable VA medical doctors to suggest hashish in states the place it’s authorized. These efforts have gained bipartisan assist, however none have but turn into legislation.
Veterans service organizations have pushed for additional reforms, together with expanded analysis into the potential advantages of hashish. Final 12 months, a Senate committee permitted a invoice to review hashish for veterans with sure medical situations, however it did not advance to a flooring vote.
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