Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are looking to use a must-pass defense bill as a vehicle to advance a number of drug policy reform proposals, including provisions to expand access to medical marijuana for military veterans, facilitate the rescheduling of certain psychedelics and protect people from being denied security clearances over marijuana.
More than 1,400 amendments have been filed so far for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). And, as has become tradition, members are hoping that the legislation will be used to enact the drug policy reforms when Congress reconvenes after the July 4th recess.
Some amendments are familiar—like one that would authorize doctors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue medical cannabis recommendations to veterans living in legalized states. That’s also the subject of standalone legislation sponsored by bipartisan members of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.
Others are more novel. For example, there are amendments from Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) that would promote MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans.
The amendments to the large-scale defense legislation, which the House Armed Services Committee has already revised to include two medical cannabis and psychedelics provisions, would need to be made in order in the House Rules Committee in order to receive consideration
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