[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H858-H859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     OPIOID ABUSE/MEDICAL MARIJUANA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, last night Frontline on PBS had a 
compelling documentary on the opioid and heroin epidemic. We are now 
seeing politicians diving in. Governors across the country are sounding 
the alarm. It is being featured by Presidential candidates in both 
parties.
  President Obama's budget has some very good suggestions highlighting 
tools to reduce drug overuse, overdose, evidence-based prevention 
programs, prescription drug monitoring, and prescription take-back 
events. There are a variety of things that are going in the right 
direction.
  Yet, it is a little frustrating for me that the simplest, cheapest, 
safest solution to help these troubled people is not embraced: medical 
marijuana.
  Actually, the public is largely there. For the last 20 years, the 
tide has been building for medical marijuana, even as the crisis on 
opioids has slowly started to take hold. It began with voter approval 
in California in 1996 and in Oregon 2 years later. Now 23 States have 
legalized medical marijuana, and two-thirds of Americans live in States 
where at least some form of medical marijuana is authorized.
  There is a reason for this movement. A meta-analysis of 79 studies in 
The Journal of the American Medical Association found solid evidence 
that medical marijuana is effective in treating chronic pain. There is 
no evidence of serious side effects among medical marijuana users who 
are actually less likely to drink alcohol or take other painkillers. 
And those States with medical marijuana actually have fewer overdose 
deaths.
  Isn't this worth exploring? Especially when there is evidence that 
availability of medical marijuana dispensaries is associated with a 
significant decrease in substance abuse admissions and a reduction in 
opioid overdose deaths.
  Recently, we have even had former NFL players come out and describe 
how they used medical marijuana to self-medicate rather than being shot 
up with painkillers by team doctors and being prescribed opioid pills.
  What is perhaps most frustrating for me is the wrong-headed approach 
that prohibits Veterans Administration doctors from even talking to 
their patients about medical marijuana in the States where it is legal. 
That is ironic because the VA has its own veterans health crisis 
because their patients are dying from prescription overdoses at rates 
twice the national average. Opioid prescriptions by VA doctors have 
surged 270 percent over the last 12 years. They are prescribing 
significantly more opioids to patients suffering from PTSD and 
depression than other veterans, even though those are the patients most 
at risk of overdose and suicide. Nearly 1 million veterans who receive 
treatment for pain continue to consume those pills beyond 90 days.
  It is clear that most veterans would probably be better off if we 
more fully utilized medical marijuana to treat

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conditions of pain, depression, and PTSD.

                              {time}  1015

  At the very least, we ought to allow the Veterans Administration 
doctors to work with their patients on this matter. That is why I will 
again be introducing my amendment that would make it clear that VA 
doctors in States where it is legal can work with their patients on 
medical marijuana.
  Since I first introduced this legislation, I have watched growing 
support on the floor of the House for an amendment that would 
accomplish this. There has been interest in the Senate. Veterans groups 
are aware of this discrimination and the Veterans Administration's 
sorry record when it comes to helping our veterans with these chronic 
conditions by using conventional painkillers that lead to addiction and 
death.
  Medical marijuana appears safer, effective, and is a low-cost way to 
deal with chronic pain. Nobody dies from an overdose of medical 
marijuana. Let's add this to our discussion, promote more effective 
research, and let VA doctors meet with their patients to talk about 
this as an alternative.

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