The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a reminder that, while Ohio’s adult-use marijuana market launched this week, government doctors are still prohibited from recommending medical cannabis to veterans—at least as long as it remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law.
VA’s Cincinnati health center published the advisory on Wednesday, acknowledging that “marijuana is now legal in Ohio and dispensaries began opening over the past few days.” However, cannabis is still a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which “makes it illegal in the eyes of the federal government.”
“The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is required to follow all federal laws including those regarding marijuana,” it says. “As long as the Food and Drug Administration classifies marijuana as Schedule I VA health care providers may not recommend it or assist Veterans to obtain it.”
While VA isn’t explicitly suggesting that the policy on VA doctor medical cannabis recommendations would change if marijuana is moved to Schedule III, as the Justice Department has proposed, the statement’s focus on a ban related to drugs with a Schedule I designation is notable.
The reminder from a federal agency following state-level legalization is reminiscent of
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