You may have read my op-ed “Rescheduling Marijuana Is a Responsible Choice for America” in The Washington Times—if not, I’d like to take a moment to talk about it. Here’s the topline:
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Rescheduling, not legalizing. It’s about making sure that cannabis is accessed safely, responsibly, and legally. It’s why I introduced the Veterans Equal Access Act—a straightforward bill that allows veterans and their doctors to take control of their healthcare decisions and use all the possible tools for healing.
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Protecting our children. Better regulation means better enforcement. Rescheduling would give our law enforcement the tools to crack down on illegal drug markets that exploit minors and contribute to crime.
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More research. Recognizing that cannabis can have medical benefits creates more jobs, more effective treatment methods, and better research.
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Common sense. I know what it’s like to be prescribed addictive pain medication after service-related injuries. Those drugs can devastate service members and ruin lives—we need more options for veterans battling recovery.
This discussion impacts community health, our law enforcement, and all of our individual rights as Americans.
