![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-1.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
A GOP congressman has filed the first marijuana bill of the 119th Congress, seeking to protect military veterans from losing government benefits for using medical cannabis in compliance with state law.<\/p>\n
The measure from Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) would also codify that U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors are allowed to discuss the potential risks and benefits of marijuana with their patients.<\/p>\n
Steube has consistently championed this specific reform, filing multiple versions of the \u201cVeterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act\u201d<\/a> over the past several Congresses. This latest version is identical to the last two bills he introduced.<\/p>\n VA doctors are currently permitted to discuss cannabis with patients and document their usage in medical records, and those veteran patients are already shielded by agency policy from losing their benefits for marijuana use\u2014but the bill would enshrine these policies into federal statute so they could not be administratively changed in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a veteran, I\u2019m committed to ensuring that veterans receive the care they deserve, and I know that sometimes that care can include medical marijuana,\u201d Steube said in a statement to Marijuana Moment when he filed the last version. \u201cReceiving the appropriate treatment to address your health care needs\u2014using products that are legal in the state in which you live\u2014should not preclude you from your Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 The version that the congressman introduced three sessions ago was more expansive, containing a notable provision that further allowed VA physicians to formally fill out written recommendations for medical marijuana.<\/p>\n But that language was omitted from these last three iterations\u2014including the new bill<\/a>\u2014which could maintain barriers to access given that most state medical cannabis programs require a written recommendation, meaning many veterans would have to outsource their healthcare to a non-VA provider in order to qualify for legal access to marijuana.<\/p>\n Steube\u2019s office previously told Marijuana Moment that the omission was necessary in order to\u00a0advance an earlier version through a House committee<\/a>\u00a0in 2020 as an amendment to another bill.<\/p>\n While the absence of language around discussing and recommending medical marijuana isn\u2019t ideal from advocates\u2019 perspective, the bill would still be a modest step for veterans, making it so VA could not move to deny them benefits for using cannabis in accordance with state law.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, advocates and stakeholders are awaiting the reintroduction of another bipartisan proposal that would protect banks from being penalized by federal regulars simply for working with state-legal cannabis businesses.<\/p>\n The GOP House sponsor of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act will be filing it again this year, but a spokesperson for his office told Marijuana Moment last month that the introduction is \u201cnot imminent\u201d as some recent reports have suggested<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read the text<\/a> of the latest \u201cVeterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act\u201d below:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Top Marijuana Advocacy Organization Welcomes New Leader Who Sees \u2018Opportunities To Make Progress\u2019 In 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post GOP Lawmaker Files First Marijuana Bill Of New Congress, Aiming To Protect Veterans\u2019 Medical Cannabis Access<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A GOP congressman has filed the first marijuana bill of the 119th Congress, seeking to protect military veterans from losing government benefits for using medical cannabis in compliance with state law. The measure from Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) would also codify that U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors areContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":80061,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80060"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80060"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80062,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80060\/revisions\/80062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMarijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a>
\nLearn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nRead More: GOP Lawmaker Files First Marijuana Bill Of New Congress, Aiming To Protect Veterans\u2019 Medical Cannabis Access<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"