November 11, 2019

Congresswoman Lee Honors Veterans and Calls for Increased Access for Veterans to Medicinal Marijuana on Veterans Day

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement marking Veterans Day:

“On Veterans Day, we honor the brave servicemembers who serve and sacrifice for our country. As the proud daughter of a veteran, I’m committed to working in Congress to ensure we keep our promises to our veterans and military families who have served selflessly and answered our nation’s call of duty.

“My father, Lieutenant Colonel Garvin Tutt, served in both World War II and the Korean War. He sacrificed to serve his country despite the discrimination he faced at home and in the military as an African American. I work to honor his legacy and make sure that every servicemember and veteran is able to live with dignity and security. 

“Congress must do more to ensure every veteran has a roof over their head, to ensure our veterans come home to a job that pays them a living wage, and to ensure our veterans have access to the health care services they deserve.

“That includes improving veterans’ access to medical marijuana. That’s why I introduced H.R. 1151, the Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act, to empower veterans and their doctors to make informed decisions about the use of medical marijuana without political interference. The current federal prohibition on cannabis is harmful and counterproductive. Politicians should never stand between our veterans and their health care. 

“To our veterans and military families, thank you for your service and your sacrifices.”

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