In a perfect world, federal legislation would be passed which:

• Releases to the public data collected per VA directive 1315 and its predecessors, since 2011;
• Releases to the public all relevant data from the federal compassionate IND program pertaining to the safety, and efficacy of cannabis being used by the participating federal patients who have passed away, since 1976;
• Provides for training and continuing education uniformly across the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) level including, but not limited to the history of cannabis medicine; the function of the endocannabinoid system; new discoveries as research is conducted; and federal/state policy in order to best uniformly integrate treatment into federal patient care;
• Uniformly expands the federal Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program (IND) through the VA;
• Recognizes veterans enrolled with, and receiving care from the VA as federal patients, requiring laws/policy being applied uniformly in all fifty states and territories of the U.S., reflecting the unique status of military (federal) personnel;
• Provides an identifier on VA patient data cards identifying participating veterans as federal cannabis patients; eliminating threat of prosecution/incarceration while traveling within the U.S. or on federal property with their medicine; 
• Provides for VA to grow cannabis for veterans participating in the expanded IND program, and occupational therapy programs. Uniformly promoting home cultivation, and medicinal access to a broad variety of cannabis products, and;
• Provides for a cannabis voucher system within the VA for veterans to access cannabis under individual state medical cannabis programs/dispensaries.
• Charters through Congress, new Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) working in this field.

Suggested Initial State Program Template For Veterans Choosing Medical Cannabis 

These recommendations are intended to provide guidance related to veterans and medical cannabis in states across the country.

The American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars are hemorrhaging membership, and posts across the country are falling into disrepair and foreclosure. These need to be transitioned into members-only compassion centers for our women and men who have served their country.

Based on experience in the trenches, the following are observations/suggestions of what baseline policy veterans need states to implement:

• Recognize cannabis as a viable treatment option for veterans within their borders.
• Provide incentives within the cannabis space as are already offered for veterans in other state programs, such as fee waivers, job placement, and special licensing considerations.
• Provide for cannabis dispensary licenses to be used by new or existing Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs)/Compassion Centers who choose to move away from alcohol sales.
• Protect the ability of these VSOs/Compassion Centers to host cannabis farmer’s markets.
• Protect the ability of these VSOs/Compassion Centers to give/receive cannabis donations to/for veterans in need.

A new VSO is needed so veterans can engage with each other and their community in a healthy, productive manner. This new VSO model does not involve alcohol. It implements a more conducive, harm reduction approach geared toward:

• Reducing the suicide rate within the veteran community;
• Reducing the dependence on pharmaceuticals within the veteran community;
• Providing a safe environment for veterans, their families, and friends;
• Increasing the quality of life for veterans, and their families;
• Establishing new networking opportunities within the veteran community;
• Identifying and perpetuating positive trends within the veteran community;
• Designing metrics to monitor the utilization/effectiveness of proposed programs.