Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) introduced legislation to allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to make recommendations on patients’ use of medical marijuana.

The VA currently prevents its doctors from giving patients consultations about medical marijuana use.

{mosads}Blumenauer thinks that veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder could benefit from using medical marijuana. Moreover, the Oregon Democrat argued that allowing veterans to obtain medical marijuana in the open would prevent them from buying the drug illegally.

“We should be allowing these wounded warriors access to the medicine that will help them survive and thrive, including medical marijuana, not treating them like criminals and forcing them into the shadows. It’s shameful,” Blumenauer said.

Rohrabacher said the current policy is “antiquated” and prevents veterans from having access to a wide range of treatments for their psychological issues.

“Conscience dictates that we not coldly ignore these desperate men and women, and that we remove government from its paternalistic stance between patient and doctor,” Rohrabacher said.

Earlier this year, the House adopted an amendment sponsored by Rohrabacher that would prevent the Justice Department from interfering with states’ implementation of their own medical marijuana laws.