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The VA and VA healthcare are somewhat separate but they are in a unique position to be able to detect something along the lines of, "Given an increase in opioid

by oooyay 3y ago

The VA and VA healthcare are somewhat separate but they are in a unique position to be able to detect something along the lines of, "Given an increase in opioid prescriptions what is the relative increase in homelessness and substance use disorder services saught by members." I also have a somewhat petty comment to make while juxtaposing this with this: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/marijuana.asp https://www.publichealth.va.gov/marijuana.asp

salad-tycoon 3y ago
It’s a federal law and the VA is a federal agency. What would you propose? VA offers multiple “edgy” therapies like ketamine therapy but there’s just no room for that for MJ. Don’t like the law? Lobby to change it. Also, frankly I’ve worked in states with legal and not legal status and nobody really cares. Maybe the pencil pushers and disability raters are different. Don’t know. This discussion is much larger than these comments but ultimately my point is the VA should absolutely never ever ever decide to become a legislative branch. God help us if the VA becomes some quasi chevron deference pretend legislative arm of the federal government and decides to interpret and/or disregard federal laws.
- oooyay 2y ago
  Kind of an aside, but it takes a lot of energy to respond to rants like this. Maybe that's on me, but if you're a vet then I'd assume you'd know how difficult it is to get anything changed at the VA much less lobbying to change an incorrectly scheduled drug. What my point was is that it's incredibly hypocritical for the VA to have a history of denying veterans medical care over marijuana and then they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar with McKinsey about opioids - an epidemic that they had plenty of data on from the DOD. When I got out in 2012 the DOD base hospitals were chalk full of addicts that their hospital system had created due to over prescription and then subsequently processing people out. I postured whether they had an even bigger picture because it's also the VAs job to track people when they get out; the exception I made was that healthcare and the VA are somewhat separate but related entities. I do realize the marijuana policy has changed drastically, but it's not reason to forget the last decade.

by oooyay 3y ago

salad-tycoon 3y ago

It’s a federal law and the VA is a federal agency. What would you propose? VA offers multiple “edgy” therapies like ketamine therapy but there’s just no room for that for MJ. Don’t like the law? Lobby to change it. Also, frankly I’ve worked in states with legal and not legal status and nobody really cares. Maybe the pencil pushers and disability raters are different. Don’t know. This discussion is much larger than these comments but ultimately my point is the VA should absolutely never ever ever decide to become a legislative branch. God help us if the VA becomes some quasi chevron deference pretend legislative arm of the federal government and decides to interpret and/or disregard federal laws.

oooyay 2y ago
Kind of an aside, but it takes a lot of energy to respond to rants like this. Maybe that's on me, but if you're a vet then I'd assume you'd know how difficult it is to get anything changed at the VA much less lobbying to change an incorrectly scheduled drug. What my point was is that it's incredibly hypocritical for the VA to have a history of denying veterans medical care over marijuana and then they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar with McKinsey about opioids - an epidemic that they had plenty of data on from the DOD. When I got out in 2012 the DOD base hospitals were chalk full of addicts that their hospital system had created due to over prescription and then subsequently processing people out. I postured whether they had an even bigger picture because it's also the VAs job to track people when they get out; the exception I made was that healthcare and the VA are somewhat separate but related entities. I do realize the marijuana policy has changed drastically, but it's not reason to forget the last decade.