Feds Threaten To Stop Funding Massachusetts Community Health Centers If Doctors Prescribe Medical Marijuana

Community health centers in Massachusetts risk losing federal funding if doctors prescribe medical marijuana even though it has been legalized. Doctors were advised not to prescribe medical marijuana to any of their 638,000 patients otherwise health centers would loose federal funding. The
reason is while state laws legalized the use
of medical marijuana, it still remains illegal and unaccepted
in the eyes of the federal government.

According to reports health center physicians who believe marijuana might be beneficial for
certain patients and authorize its use could be committing a “potential
violation of federal law and could result in legal and financial
exposure for community health centers,”

Veterans that could benefit from medicinal marijuana are facing similar problems. In a 2011 memo, the Department of Veterans Affairs reminded its
physicians that it prohibits them from “completing forms seeking
recommendations or opinions regarding a veteran’s participation in a
state marijuana program.”

The memo, however, said department policy does not prohibit veterans who
legally participate in a state marijuana program from also receiving
other treatment at VA centers.

If that isn’t confusing enough a 2011 memo from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to
public housing authorities directs them to establish standards and
leases that prohibit new tenants, and those with new subsidized housing
vouchers, from using “state-legalized medical marijuana,” but gives
authorities discretion to allow medical marijuana use by current
residents and “to determine continued occupancy policies that are most
appropriate for their local communities.”

The memo also stated that the department is “committed to using its limited investigative and
prosecutorial resources to address the most significant threats in the
most effective, consistent, and rational way,”

It concludes by noting the department still has authority to enforce
federal laws “including federal laws relating to marijuana, regardless
of state law.”

Veterans have it hard enough. Why do the feds have to make things so complicated. If anyone has the right to use medical marijuana, it would be our veterans. I believe everyone has the right to use it, but our veterans should come first.

Let us know what you think about this story. Are you as appalled as I am about the way the feds are treating our veterans and bullying our doctors? Speak your mind in the comments below. I would love to hear your thoughts.