Medical Marijuana: Veterans Administration Says Positive Marijuana Drug Screening Will Not Void Pain Contracts for Vets with Doctors' Recommendations
The Veterans Affairs watchdog group VA Watchdog reported last week that the VA will not remove veterans with medical marijuana recommendations who test positive for pot from its pain management programs. Just don't bring your medicine to a VA facility.
In recent years, vets who use marijuana medicinally have been thrown out of VA pain management programs as "drug abusers" after testing positive for marijuana. This policy shift will provide some solace, but only to those vets residing in states where medical marijuana is an option.
The VA has clarified its policy. While restating that it remains illegal to use or possess marijuana at VA facilities because of federal law, the agency will now accept medical marijuana use in states where it is legal:
"[I]t is acknowledged that testing positive for marijuana in a patient, based upon a random drug screening, will not serve as a breach of the current pain management agreement if the patient submits documentation in support of the marijuana being prescribed and dispensed in conformity with Michigan law," wrote Gabriel Perez, director of the Lutz Veterans Affairs Center in Saginaw, Michigan.
According to VA Watchdog, the policy appears to be the same in all states where medical marijuana is allowed under state law. But the VA has not released an official policy statement on the matter.
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This is very true
Comment posted by Dennis Maggio on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 10:52pmI just recently had this argument with my pain doctor at the VA. He told me that I had to pee in a cup that day and had to sign his pain agreement, They no longer say contract. I had informed them that I had to have my Lawyer take a look at the agreement. I was told to sign or I would not be helped! So I raised the question what if I have a positive test for THC and I am a medical Marijuana patient, they told me to piss in the cup and we will discuss. So I handed them a copy of the VA watchdog report from Michigan. That settled that issue, however they still violated my 4th,5th, and 10 amendment and waited for them to acknowledge in what I said. So because in my opinion the doctor didn't like being proved wrong, I now have to go see there addiction counselor before they will prescribe pain medication. From Start to finish it will be two to three months before they will write a script for me. That is along as the addiction person doesn't tell me I have to goto rehab. I am a 100% service connected vet, getting treated like I am a second class citizen. Don't let the VA push you around, file a complaint with patient advocacy, call you congressman or woman and let them know, and most of all let all the Vets know to do this.
Thanks
Dennis