Congress Abandons Effort To Let VA Doctors Recommend Medical Marijuana On Veterans Day

OG article by Kyle Jaeger

November 12, 2025

Congressional leaders dropped bipartisan provisions that would have allowed VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana in legal states, despite both chambers passing versions earlier this year. The omission, revealed days before Veterans Day, drew sharp criticism. NORML and Marijuana Policy Project called it “cruel” and “insensitive” to veterans using cannabis for pain and PTSD. The final spending bill contains no cannabis language for veterans. Separately, the same bill includes a controversial hemp-THC ban supported by President Trump.