All Gave Some, Some Gave All: A Policy Discussion on the Veterans Cannabis Conundrum

The Fireside Chat series of NCIA’s Industry Essentials webinars are an exclusive opportunity for NCIA members to hear from our government relations team and guests about the latest developments in federal policy.

As Memorial Day nears, it’s important to remember the reason for the holiday: our veterans.

Unfortunately, though all gave some and some gave all, the vast majority of our veterans are still unable to access safe, regulated cannabis. Many individuals in the veteran community struggle under unique health burdens stemming from their honorable service, and have experienced little success in managing their conditions with available pharmaceuticals. Through cannabis, veterans of all generations and with various conditions have experienced improvements in their quality of life by using cannabis.

In Congress, two bills aimed at tackling this issue have already passed out of the House Veterans Affairs Committee– H.R. 712: the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2019, sponsored by Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA) and H.R. 1647: the Veterans Equal Access Act, sponsored by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). In March, the Congressional Budget Office scored H.R. 1647 and found that passing the bill into law would cost the federal government exactly $0.

So, please join us for a webinar focused on cannabis, health, and our armed services members. NCIA’s Government Relations team will be joined by none other than the lead sponsors of the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2019 and H.R. 1647: the Veterans Equal Access Act, Congressmen Lou Correa and Earl Blumenauer, respectively. Our panel will also include the cofounders of the Veterans Cannabis Coalition, Eric Goepel and Bill Ferguson. This unique opportunity will allow you to hear from the lead sponsors of legislation designed to give our veterans the best quality of life possible, interact with member(s) of Congress, and learn more about the prospects of these bills passing into law.