While the national spotlight is on topline spending and veteran care in Congress, a series of dangerous and misleading drug policy provisions are quietly buried in this year’s Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill and Report Language. These policies do not serve veterans — they serve the interests of Big Marijuana and psychedelic promoters under the false pretense of compassion.
Below is a breakdown of the most troubling provisions and why they must be opposed.
📄 View the bill report here: FY25 MilCon-VA Report (PDF)
📜 View the bill text (H.R. 8580) here: Congress.gov Link
The Merkley Amendment: Greenlighting Federally Illegal Marijuana
Text excerpt: “None of the funds appropriated… may be used… to interfere with the ability of a veteran to participate in a medicinal marijuana program… or to deny any services… or interfere with a health care provider…”
Why this is dangerous:
- It puts VA doctors at legal risk. This directs them to facilitate access to a Schedule I drug, which is still federally illegal. No change in VA internal policy can override federal criminal law.
- It directly contradicts VA/DoD guidelines. The 2023 VA/DoD PTSD Work Group strongly recommended against marijuana or marijuana derivatives for PTSD.
- Veterans with cannabis use disorder (CUD) are at elevated suicide risk.
- 9% of veterans who died by suicide in 2022 had CUD.
- From 2001–2022, suicide rates among VHA users with CUD rose by 20%.
- The VA’s National Center for PTSD warns:
- Veterans with PTSD have over 12% prevalence of CUD.
- Marijuana use predicts worsened PTSD symptoms, increased treatment dropout, and poor therapy adherence.
Veterans deserve access to safe, effective treatments — not federally illegal drugs that worsen mental health.
Committee Report Misrepresents Federal Marijuana Policy
Report excerpt: “The Committee recognizes that the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Agency has concurred with… HHS’s 2023 recommendation to reschedule cannabis…”
Why this is false and misleading:
- DEA has not concurred. Former DEA Administrator Anne Milgram refused to sign off on the HHS recommendation — a historic first.
- Rescheduling doesn’t legalize marijuana. No marijuana product sold in dispensaries will become FDA-approved or federally legal if rescheduled to Schedule III.
- Only FDA-approved cannabis-derived drugs like Marinol (already Schedule III) are federally allowed. This language falsely implies broader legality and access is imminent.
“Medical Marijuana Reduces Opioid Use” — A False Narrative
Report excerpt: “The Committee encourages VA to conduct a study… on the relationship between medical marijuana… and reduction in opioid use…”
Why this is wrong:
Studies show that marijuana use does not reduce opioid use or deaths — and may worsen outcomes:
- Stanford School of Medicine: No connection between medical marijuana laws and reduced opioid deaths.
- Medical Marijuana Users and Prescription Drugs: Marijuana users are more likely to use prescription drugs, both medically and nonmedically.
- Marijuana and Chronic Low Back Pain Study: Marijuana users more likely to have substance use disorders and be nonadherent with opioid prescriptions.
- Why Marijuana Will Not Fix the Opioid Epidemic: Marijuana use increases non-medical opioid use and opioid use disorder.
- Case Reports on Adolescents with OUD: Marijuana failed to prevent relapse to opioids in youth.
- Columbia Mailman School of Public Health: No change in opioid use following adoption of medical marijuana laws.
We already have the data. It is irresponsible to imply marijuana can solve the opioid crisis.
Psychedelics: Promoting Use Before Results
Report excerpt: “The Department is directed to initiate a longitudinal study… and explore expansion of psychedelic-assisted therapy…”
Why this is a red flag:
- Premature expansion. We should not expand these treatments before understanding if they are safe and effective.
- No request for safety data. The report asks for outcomes but ignores potential side effects or long-term harms.
- History matters. We studied psychedelics in the 1970s and halted it for good reason: poor outcomes and high risk.
- Latest science still advises caution.
- The 2023 VA/DoD PTSD Work Group recommended against psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD.
- In 2024, the FDA rejected MDMA-assisted therapy after reviewing Lykos’ clinical trial data, citing insufficient evidence and serious risks.
Final Thought: Veterans Deserve Better
These provisions don’t belong in a VA funding bill. They are lobbying victories for drug industry interests masquerading as veteran care. This bill directs federal doctors to violate federal law, distorts the scientific record, and endorses experimental treatments without clear evidence of safety or effectiveness.
Veterans deserve real solutions — not unproven drugs, false hope, or political theater.
It is time for Congress to strip these provisions and stand up for what our veterans actually need.
📄 Full Bill Documents: