My name is James Morrow, I am a US Army and US Navy veteran and get my medical treatments through the Togus, Maine VAMC. I recently broke the ice regarding the use of Medical Marijuana issue w/ my health care provider. I was informed that VA recently had an in-service for the doctors there where they had been instructed not to engage in discussions of the use of Medical Marijuana w/ patients. That the reason for this policy is because the VA does not want to appear as if it is promoting the use of marijuana, PERIOD! That the DEA has federally mandated laws stateing that marijuana has NO viable medical use and that it is an ILLEGAL drug.

BUT, at least one of my VA care providers “personally” disagrees and stated to me that he belives that there is in fact substanciated medical uses for medical marijuana that patients could benefit from. One big drawback though, the DEA has threatened to revoke ANY licencing of any VA doctor, his ability to prescribe medication, from any doctor who makes a Medical Marijuana RECCOMENDATION!
Let us be clear on one issue, a medical marijuana reccomendation is NOT a PRESCRIPTION! All it is, is a doctor stating that it is in his professional opinion that his patient could benefit from the use of marijuana as a course of treatment.

All we want is for something that is natural, with less of these crazy side effects, and non-addictive, to treat the pain, the sickness, the nausea, the anxiety, without making us zombies or addicted to narcotics from the shopping bag full of drugs that the VA sends us home with every month, and to be afforded the same federally protected rights to reccomendations and treatments as NON-VA patients. The problem is that the VA doesnt get a big kickback from the drug companies, if vets start effectively treating their ailments with the use of medical marijuana, like they do by ordering millions of dollars of manufactured drugs from the pharacutical companies.

But the first thing that has to happen is for us vets to do is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, DEMAND that our request for a Medical Marijuana Reccomendation be put INTO our official medical record EACH and EVERY time we see and ask for a RECCOMENDATION from any one of VA health care providers, whether it be our PCP (primary care physicians, mental health care providers, etc….) It is up to us, the vets, to make it quite clear that we have federally protected rights to at least ASK for the reccomendation, (if of course it is pertaining and relevant to our individual treatments) and that a record mof such REQUEST be noted within our official medical file. Then get copies showing that you made every effort possible to avail yourself w/ such treatments from the VAMC.

Also, you must remind your health care provider that HE has a right first of all to freedom of speech, in making such reccomendation, remind him that YOUR care is paramount, and that he has a legal obligation to YOU as his Patient to be able to make any and all reasonable and legal RECCOMENDATIONS in regards to your health. (NOT TO MENTION any and all legal ramifications, such as medical malpractice liabilities if he fails to do so.

The VA can no longer be allowed to openly discriminate against medical marijuana patients in states where the use of medical marijuana is LEGAL, and doctors in the VA system should not be “blackmailed” by the DEA for simply stateing their professional opinion. Must we declare a war, an open armed conflict against the DEA to get them out of our VA to protect our rights and the rights of our health care providers, simply for the right to request from our doctors a course of treatment? Remember, we served, we fought, and some died to protect those rights. Now, it is time we foughts for OUR rights and the rights of our health carte providers right to reccomend treatment. (Not even prescribe, but simply RECCOMEND)

James Morrow
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PS: Feel free to contact me at the above email address regarding this matter, especially if you are a vet who resides in a state where the use of medical marijuana is legal and the VA has refused to even discuss the possibility of a Medical Marijuana Reccomendation as a means of treatment. (Put Medical Marijuana Reccomendation in the Subject header)

Standing around by yourself will get you nowhere, but there is strength in numbers! What we need now is for a Class Action discrimination suit to be filed on our behalf against the VA, since Non-VA are allowed access, and we are not, therefore as a class of US citizens, we are not being afforded equal protection under the law.

After being told the Mather VA Pain Clinic would no longer be providing treatment due to traces of THC in a lab test the Mather VA Pain Clinic obtained from me, I decided to fight it.

Through some hard work in conjunction with US Congresswoman Doris Matsui in N. Calif. I managed to get a letter written for me on their Marijuana Policy by Dr. Brian J. O'Neill, the Director of the VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS). What this means is that there now is precidence in the N. Calif region of VA Healthcare System for Marijuana and they should not be able to deny you without good reason (whatever that is).

Of course now they are trying to get me to go to substance abuse counceling and based upon that must test negitive for marijuana in the future. I have good grounds for resolving that in the near future. If not I will be taking it to the court system. But if they are not playing the abuse game in your case, a copy of this letter should suffice.

Contact me through this website if your in N. Calif.. If you have been denied treatment at The Mather VA Hospital I would also like your name and phone to assist my further fights with the VA.

(contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Note: This is my junk email account so please put Medical marijuana policy in the title bar otherwise I will not reply)

just got denied pain meds at the v.a. because I smoke pot

I too have beeen denied pain meds, and even treatment for depression because I smoke, even though I tell the VA give me something and I will stop smoking, they won't I guess CRPS isn't that bad of an ailment.

I guess I better start watching Hockey I may be up in Canada soon..

I also have been denied treatment at the pain management clinic at the VA hospital at Mather. I am taking it to Congress and the VA through my representative Doris Matsui. I intend to give it a fight due to Obama's stand on medical marijuana. There is precedence from Gabriel Perez. I know of at least 5 others who are or have been threatened at Mather and am sure there are many others.

I have been warned that if I test positive for Medical Marajunan in 30 days, my pain management medications will be terminated immediately. Is there a specific California V.A. written policy that, NO DOCTOR IS ALLOWED TO TAKE AWAY PAIN MANAGEMENT MEDICATION IF PATIENT TESTS POSITIVE TO MEDICAL MARAJUANA. Does Gabriel Perez policy refer to all states under Veterans Affiars?
Please respond,
John D. Cathers

Ok, I'm getting screwed here. My meds were denied refills because I did not submit to a urine test. So, under durress due to withdrawing from Clonapin (people have died from withdrawing from Clonapin), I submitted to a urine test. Now the VA wants me back in the office. No appt was requested by me, I am simply ordered back to the doctors office, no explaination given. This is not the Psychiatrist that I NEED and have asked for since this Fall. It is NOT someone who can RE-ORDER MY PSYCHATRIC MEDICATIONS. Now I do not identify with other "drug users". Infact, I do not consider myself a "drug user" until I have to visit the seedy underbelly of society to renew the ONLY MEDICATION and Natural Remedy (with no dangerous side effects) that gives me piece of mind and relaxes my body. I have chronic pain, a lower back injury aquired durring service, PTSD - fear of all things military related and being in a crowd of men - also military induced sexual trauma. Since I was most likely poped for pot on my "drug" test, I am not allowed a psychiatric care or mental medications?!!

Four years of my life spent fearing for my safety and now I am cut off from care from the VA?? What is this country coming to when an HONORABLY DISCHARGED VETERAN CAN NOT GET TREATMENT?

Can I get assylum in Canada? I used to believe in my country.

I have two letters, one from the director of VA medical center, Battle Creek, MI. and one from the director of VA medical center, Ann Arbor, MI.
Both of these VA medical centers have stated MMJ is acceptable for vet patients registered with the MI. state MMJ program.
Copies of letters are available.