Daines Leads Bicameral Group of Members Urging Congressional Leadership to Include Medical Marijuana Provision in Funding Bill

Press Release

U.S. Senator Steve Daines today led ten members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives today urged Congressional leadership to include a provision in the final funding bill sent to the president that protects veterans' ability to discuss the use of medical marijuana with VA physicians in states where it is legal. Although, the provision passed both chambers of Congress, the provision was removed in the conferenced appropriations for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies.

The Fiscal Year 2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act Conference Report failed to include Daines' and Earl Blumenauer's (D-OR) amendments that would allow for parity between VA and non-VA facilities in 26 states which have medical marijuana programs. The amendment does not change current laws preventing the possession or dispensing of marijuana on VA property, but simply allows veterans to discuss all options that are legally available in their state with their VA doctor.

"The Conferees failed to include a provision passed by bipartisan votes in the House and Senate that would allow VA doctors to discuss medical marijuana and make recommendations regarding its use in states where it is legal," the members wrote. "We strongly believe the inclusion of either the House or Senate language in the final text should have been nonnegotiable."

"We feel the failure of the Conferees to include either provision is a drastic misfortune for veterans and is contrary to the will of both chambers as demonstrated by the strong bipartisan support for these provisions," the members continued.

The letter is signed by U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jared Polis (D-CO), Dina Titus (D-NV) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed Daines' amendment with a bipartisan vote of 20-10, and a substantially similar amendment passed the U.S. House with a vote of 233-189.