Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, though it has been adopted by 29 states with various rules and requirements for its medicinal use. Recreational marijuana is legal in just 8 states. However, this number is sure to rise as more legislation is passed.
The types of illness that marijuana is renowned for are the ones that veterans happen to be suffering from, mainly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD), insomnia, anxiety and depression. Veterans are obviously in support of the amendment, as are the public at large.
Trumps War on Veterans
One person who is not in favor of marijuana for veterans is Donald Trump and the Republican party. The attack of the Trump administration on marijuana veterans has put pitted it against a potent political adversary – military war veterans.
On the 25 July 2017, the GOP blocked an amendment which would have allowed doctors to recommend marijuana to war veterans. Such a move is not only illogical, it may be deemed downright cruel. War veterans are those who need access to this type of treatment the most yet are the ones who cannot avail of treatment as they may lose access to the medical benefits they were previously entitled to. A strange twist of affairs that does not leave the GOP looking good and has infuriated many. While the move is illogical it was done for political reasons.
The GOP is historically opposed to the endorsement of drugs of all kinds and likes to enforce traditional conservative values. The legalization of marijuana across a number of states does not represent typical republican ideologies. It is perhaps ironic that most veterans went into service with the endorsement of the GOP, the war party, and are now denied benefits by the same group.
The 2 million strong group known as the American legion is composed of war veterans and last year started a campaign to get marijuana reclassified form a drug with no medical benefits to something that actually resembles what it is. It is currently in the same category as cocaine. Many veterans have reported that marijuana use has helped them to get off prescription meds and other forms of therapy which are not working for them.
Trumps War on Marijuana
Trumps general stance on marijuana is not so rigid, and in May he declared:
“Division B, section 537 provides that the Department of Justice may not use any funds to prevent implementation of medical marijuana laws by various States and territories. I will treat this provision consistently with my constitutional responsibility to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
Which means that the state will not intervene in the distribution of medical marijuana. But in general, the government does reserve the right to investigate criminal activity, which weed consumption is unless you have a valid medical card in most states.
There is a widespread fear that Trump could reverse his stance on marijuana. This would absolutely cripple the states that have embraced marijuana with its associated infrastructures and industries. There is no real justification for doing so and President Trump could be well on the way to being the most hated President in history if he makes this mistake. While he has made many “ambitious” maneuvers in the past trying to put a stop to marijuana legalization would be a political catastrophe for him.
It does appear that the Trump administration is ready to step up and enforce marijuana law enforcement. This is presumably going to be done through the Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, a department led by AG Jeff Sessions. The idea is to link violent behavior with crime and use marijuana as a scapegoat. Mr Sessions stated:
“I believe it would be unwise for Congress to restrict the discretion of the Department to fund prosecutions, particularly in the midst of an historic drug epidemic and potentially long-term uptick in violent crime”
Long term cannabis users might be somewhat amused by the assertions of politicians that there is a link between a calming, relaxing plant and violent crime. There are drugs which may induce crime, but it is quite a stretch to say that marijuana is one of them. It seems to be AG Jess Sessions who is going after marijuana as opposed to President Trump, and such aggressiveness only serves to create more violence at public expense.
The Future of American Marijuana
Despite all the claims the government is unlikely to crack down on marijuana and we will see more marijuana use and legalization as time goes by. However, it is something of a tragedy that the war veterans are being treated this badly and will have to wait even longer to get the appropriate treatment which they so richly deserve.
