March 10, 2015
By Marcus Boyd, San Diego Americans for Safe Access
A
s a follow-up to the January 18 article titled; ACTION ALERT: Local VA – Stop Denying Pain Meds to Veterans, today we claimed victory on our Change.org petition which gathered over 20k signatures in less than two months!
Thank you to everyone who signed and who shared the petition online, once again we’ve proven the power we have as individuals to make a positive change – but our work is not over. Please read the press release below from CaNorml’s Ellen Komp, then take a few minutes to write to your Congressional representatives in support of the Veterans Equal Access Act, which would allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their patients.
Also, thank the Cosponsors of the historic Senate CARERS Act which – for the first time ever – introduces comprehensive medical marijuana legislation in the U.S. Senate. The bill would allow state programs to continue without federal inference, reschedule marijuana out of Schedule I, remove CBD from the scheduling, create access to banking services for legal marijuana business, end the Public Health service review process and NIDA monopoly that blocks research, and allows VA doctors to write recommendations in states that have a medical marijuana program.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ellen Komp, CA NORML 415-563-5858 ellen@canorml.org
Southern California Regional VA Policy Revised to Allow for Medical Marijuana Use with Opioids
March 10, 2015 – In response to months of effort from California NORML, Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, affiliated groups and Congressional offices, Cal NORML has been informed that VISN-22 policy has been revised to allow the use of medical marijuana with opioid prescriptions at all VA facilities in the region.
The new policy states:
If the UDS detects marijuana, and the patient participates in a State medical marijuana program, the provider and patient will discuss the various options and information available, including the safety risk associated with concurrent use. The patient and provider will then make a shared decision as to what direction the non-malignant pain will be managed.
Providers concurring in providing opioids in patients participating in a State medical marijuana program, must follow procedures that include a signed “Medical Marijuana Patient Use Agreement” and a “Concomitant Use of Opioids/Medical Marijuana Note”, documenting that any contraindications have been addressed and validating patient is enrolled in a State medical marijuana program.
Patients may appeal a provider decision not to provide opioid in a patient participating in a State medical marijuana program, by following the procedure outlined in “Network-Wide Policy for Clinical Appeals”; 2002-7.
The chief of staff at each VHA is responsible for implementation and monitoring of compliance with the policy.
Cal NORML began receiving phone calls last fall from veterans impacted by a policy directive issued by former VISN-22 acting chief Jeffrey Gering stating that any patient using medical marijuana would be tapered off their pain medications. Callers included a paratrooper injured in a training exercise who was denied his pain meds at Loma Linda hospital on Christmas eve, and a 70-year-old former pilot injured in a forced landing while in service.
Since the policy was in direct conflict with national VA policy allowing doctors to determine the best course of treatment in medical marijuana states, Michael Krawitz of VCMA put the national ethics committee of the VA in touch with Gering’s office, reportedly gaining assurance that the policy would be changed just before Thanksgiving. However no change took place and Cal NORML deputy director Ellen Komp spent much of the month of January in the Southern California area visiting VA hospitals with veterans and reaching out to activist groups and Congressional offices.
“I hope and expect that this policy change will mean better care for veterans in the Southern California region who choose to use medical marijuana to augment their pain management regimen,” said Komp. She thanked all who worked towards making this policy change, in particular Kevin Hack of Congressman Takano’s office, David Zink of Long Beach VA Patient Experience Council, and Michael Krawitz of VCMA. In addition Marcus Boyd of San Diego ASA, himself a veteran, mounted a Change.org petition that gathered over 20,000 signatures in support of a policy change.
Already NORML has received word that one veteran’s doctors have told him he will be denied despite the change in policy. The new policy contains a means by which veterans can appeal any denial of medication. Other services, such as PTSD psychotherapy programs and anxiety medications, have also been denied due to medical marijuana use. This is highly ironic since to many, cannabis is helpful with PTSD and anxiety.
Cal NORML urges all to write their Congressional representatives in support of the Veterans Equal Access Act, which would allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their patients.
Ellen Komp
Deputy Director
California NORML
www.CaNORML.org
