House To Vote On Letting VA Doctors Recommend Medical Marijuana To Military Veterans And Supporting Psychedelics Research

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June 25. 2025

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider amendments to a spending bill that would authorize Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to issue medical marijuana recommendations to military veterans and promote research and access to psychedelic therapies. On Monday, the House Rules Committee approved these cannabis and psychedelics amendments for floor consideration, potentially integrating them into the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilConVA) appropriations legislation.

One amendment, proposed by Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL) and Dave Joyce (R-OH), co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, aims to expand veterans’ access to state medical marijuana programs by eliminating restrictive VA policies. Specifically, it would repeal:

1. The policy stating that “VHA providers are prohibited from completing forms or registering Veterans for participation in a State-approved marijuana program”;

   
   
   
   

2. The directive requiring the “Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management” to ensure that “medical facility Directors are aware that it is VHA policy for providers to assess Veteran use of marijuana but providers are prohibited from recommending, making referrals to or completing paperwork for Veteran participation in State marijuana programs”; and

   
   
   
   

3. The directive for the “VA Medical Facility Director” to ensure that “VA facility staff are aware of the following: [t]he prohibition recommending, making referrals to or completing forms and registering Veterans for participation in State-approved marijuana programs.”

Speaking before the Rules Committee on Monday, Rep. Mast, a veteran who endured severe injuries in Afghanistan, shared a deeply personal perspective.

“I’m not a doctor. I wouldn’t presume to tell people when they should consider cannabis for medical purposes,” he said. “But I woke up at Walter Reed one day, missing two legs and a finger, on a laundry list of narcotics I’d never taken before.” He recounted the grueling withdrawal from opioids prescribed during his recovery,

emphasizing the need for alternatives. “If veterans can’t discuss options like medical cannabis with their VA doctors, the VA is failing them. They’ll explore these paths regardless—it’s far better under a doctor’s guidance. My amendment ensures VA doctors can have those conversations without prohibition.”

This provision is rooted in the Veterans Equal Access Act, a bipartisan bill Mast reintroduced in February. Despite consistent committee and floor advancements in recent sessions, the measure has yet to be enacted. In prior years, both the House and Senate have included similar provisions in their MilConVA bills to allow VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis, but these have not survived final legislation.

A second amendment, introduced by Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI), co-chairs of the Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus, seeks to advance VA research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for conditions prevalent among veterans, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders.

The amendment adjusts funding for the VA’s Medical and Prosthetic Research account to direct the department to evaluate changes needed to integrate approved psychedelic therapies into veterans’ care. This includes developing training and supervision programs for providers and establishing pilot programs to guide clinical implementation.

In a press release, Correa underscored the urgency of the issue. “We lose up to 20 veterans a day to suicide—one is too many,” he said. “Veterans face tragic rates of suicide and opioid overdose deaths after returning home. While the VA has begun studying breakthrough therapies like psychedelics, we must prepare now to ensure these treatments can be safely delivered to our nation’s warriors.”

Bergman, reflecting on veterans’ struggles, added, “After serving with honor, many return to face a different battle. I’ve long advocated for innovative therapies to address the invisible wounds of war. We owe veterans more options and fewer barriers—they shouldn’t come home to a new fight.”

On Tuesday, the House approved the rule governing consideration of the spending bill, with amendments expected to be debated later this week. Notably, this year’s MilConVA bill includes fewer cannabis-related amendments than in past sessions. The Rules Committee has previously rejected other Democratic-led reforms, such as prohibiting cannabis testing for federal job applicants in states with legalized marijuana.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the House Appropriations Committee approved a separate spending bill with provisions that hemp industry stakeholders warn could devastate their sector. The bill would prohibit most consumable cannabinoid products,

which were federally legalized during the first Trump administration. Earlier this month, Congress also passed legislation primarily aimed at permanently banning fentanyl analogues, which includes provisions to reduce barriers to researching the risks and benefits of marijuana and other Schedule I drugs, as noted by a Republican lawmaker.