A federal appeals court has approved a request by the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow medical marijuana to reach more veterans.
The appeals court said the Department did not have a compelling interest in expanding access to medical marijuana for those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the military’s newest form of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Veterans who have PTSD are unable to take prescribed medications because of a lack of availability and have limited access to appropriate services.
The VA has said the proposed law will improve access for veterans who have had debilitating symptoms and will help those with PTSD recover from treatment.
The agency said it would use existing resources and resources to help veterans find and obtain medical marijuana.
The case is part of a wave of VA policy changes over the past year that has resulted in a steep increase in veterans using marijuana for medical purposes.
The decision is the latest step in a national push by veterans groups and lawmakers to allow veterans to obtain marijuana from state-licensed growers.
They say allowing patients to grow their own medical marijuana is a key step to help those who have suffered debilitating symptoms.
In the case of Veterans Access, the VA sought to let the VA issue a “license” to growers to distribute the medicine in the state, which would be subject to a strict set of conditions.
The Veterans Access Board, an independent agency created by Congress, rejected the VA’s request for a license last year.
In January, a federal judge ordered the VA to stop denying VA medical marijuana patients the ability to obtain medical cannabis.