House-Approved Veterans Affairs Budget Bill Ends Prohibition on Medical Cannabis Recommendations 

An amendment in the House-approved budget bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would, for the first time, allow VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis to patients in states where it is legal, Stars and Stripes reports. Currently, VA doctors are banned from even discussing medical cannabis with their patients due to federal prohibition.  

Another amendment in the proposal would allow the VA to plan for psychedelic therapies as future treatment options, ordering the agency to recommend changes to its infrastructure to include “approved” psychedelic therapies in the delivery of future medical services.  

The psychedelics amendment was pitched by Rep. Jack Bregman (R-MI), a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who served from 1969 to 2009, who told Stars and Stripes he supports “innovative therapies that show promise for treating the invisible wounds of war.” 

The amendment to allow veterans to participate in state-approved medical cannabis programs was introduced by Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), a medically retired Army veteran who served for more than 12 years as a bomb disposal expert, who told Stars and Stripes the proposal is “common-sense legislation.”  

“Something like 35 states have approved medical marijuana. If this can help veterans recovering from injuries stay off prescription narcotics, it will be a godsend.” — Mast to Stars and Stripes 

The legislation would also prohibit the VA from enforcing a regulation that bans its clinicians from completing paperwork or issuing recommendations for veterans to participate in state-approved cannabis programs. 

The $453 billion spending bill for fiscal year 2026 was passed by the House last month. The legislation is expected to be reviewed this month by the Senate Appropriations Committee.