After Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said his department does not have the authority to research medical marijuana on America's veterans, Democrats who had made the request sent a letter demanding an explanation of the specific barriers preventing the VA from doing so, Stars and Stripes reported Tuesday.
The letter said the so-called facts given to back up Shulkin's explanation were "misleading and seemingly biased."
Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution deputy director John Hudak called Shulkin's response "an unfortunate combination of false information, incomplete analysis and incomprehensible logic . . . [that] appears to wave off committee members' concerns about an issue that affects the lives of millions of soldiers and veterans across the United States."
The American Legion, which has a membership of some two million veterans, had also strongly advocated last year for the VA to conduct the research.
In an effort to build up more support, the Legion commissioned a poll in November in which 92 percent of veteran households said they want more marijuana research.
The American Legion and Democrats insist the VA is best situated to conduct the research on medical marijuana, because of its access to so many veterans struggling with PTSD whose symptoms have not improved through other treatments.
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