Military Veterans And Prisoner Advocacy Groups Lobby Congress To Change Marijuana Laws

“It’s incredible what we can do when the left and right unite for the same mission, and yesterday and today were fantastic examples of how bipartisan these particular issues are.”

By Josh Kasoff, Filter

At the end of September, a lobbying effort on Capitol Hill sought to convince lawmakers of the need to move toward federal cannabis legalization, to free people incarcerated for marijuana convictions and to ensure access, in particular, for veterans impacted by a range of health conditions.

Events over two days were coordinated by a pair of nonprofits that share these goals: Last Prisoner Project (LPP) and Balanced Veterans Network (BVN). Their representatives visited over a dozen congressional offices, including those of influential members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and other Congress members who are veterans.

“The main objectives of today and yesterday were to find co-sponsors for numerous federal bills, including the PREPARE Act (H.R. 2935), the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act (H.R. 3082) and a number of veteran-focused access bills,” Jason Ortiz, LPP’s director of strategic initiatives, told Filter on September 30.

The PREPARE Act, introduced in April by Representative Dave Joyce (R-OH), would establish a federal commission to study and advise on ways to regulate cannabis similarly to alcohol.

The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act, introduced the same month by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), would repeal a provision of a 1998 act, which bans the Office of National Drug Control Policy from using federal funds to study potential legalization of Schedule I substances—as cannabis remains—and requires the ONDCP to oppose legalization attempts.

“Having over a dozen meetings with folks specifically on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, to bring cannabis issues to that committee, was a huge shift in strategy,” Ortiz said, “and I think it’ll be invaluable moving forward to make sure we can bring on folks that are typically not seen as allies.”

Large numbers of United States veterans live with harrowing physical and mental health conditions. In many cases, available pharmaceuticals haven’t helped. Cannabis has given many tremendous relief—and might help far more. But despite research supporting its use for numerous conditions, the Schedule I status of “no currently accepted medical use” means veterans don’t have access through the VA.

In this context, veteran suicide rates are distressingly high. Eric Jansen, BVN’s government affairs coordinator, has been personally impacted. On Easter morning 2017, Jansen came home to find his best friend, Army veteran Brad Chartier, dead by suicide. Jansen carried the pain of Chartier’s death for years, he said, until an ayahuasca ceremony gave him closure and a new appreciation for life and advocacy.

One matter Jansen discussed with congressional staffers was the disturbing findings of Operation Deep Dive, which indicated that veteran suicide rates were double the commonly stated average of “22 a day.”

“These findings expose a much graver reality of veteran suicide and overdose than previously acknowledged, underscoring the urgency of addressing this crisis with new approaches,” Jansen told Filter.

While there was camaraderie and humor among the veteran advocates on Capitol Hill, they pressed congressional staffers about a number of injustices. These included cases of veterans who remain incarcerated for nonviolent marijuana convictions—in states where lucrative, legal cannabis marketplaces have since been created.

Among the cases are those of Robert Deals, an Air Force veteran serving an 18-year sentence in an Arizona prison; Deshawn Reilly of the Marines, serving a 17-year sentence in Georgia; and Kristofer Fetter, an Army veteran who served in Iraq and received a sentence of nearly five years in New York.

Trying to engage with lawmakers can be a long and frustrating process, but Jansen said progress was definitely made.

“While it was difficult to meet directly with elected representatives, we were able to engage with their staff, which is a critical first step,” he explained. “Raising awareness is half the battle… Ultimately, the only path to moving legislation forward is through increased co-sponsorship and committee support.”

The advocates found some lawmakers particularly receptive. Rep. Tony Wied (R-WI), for instance, who has a small memorial to Chartier in his office, was strongly in favor of the measures discussed.

The targeted lawmakers were from both sides of the political aisle, and to match that, the advocates also had mixed political views, coming together in what might strike some as an unlikely alliance.

“But really,” Ortiz said, “the main objective was, ‘Can we work together as progressive advocates and [some] Republican veterans to actually have a central message that we can share in unity with Congress to bring them on board?’”

“The answer,” he said, “was absolutely yes.”

“We crushed every meeting we were a part of, we were well received by members of all parties and we walked out with additional co-sponsors and members of the PATH Caucus moving forward,” Ortiz said, referring to the congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus.

“It’s incredible what we can do when the left and right unite for the same mission,” he concluded, “and yesterday and today were fantastic examples of how bipartisan these particular issues are, when we’re talking about cannabis legalization and veterans having access to life-saving treatments.”

Jansen agrees with the importance of bipartisanship in making tangible legislative progress.

“Bipartisan engagement is absolutely essential,” he said. “Information sharing builds trust, and asking representatives directly what they need from us strengthens our advocacy. Caucuses, by design, are bipartisan, and that dynamic is critical to success. Mental health challenges transcend party lines; this is not a partisan issue, but an American one. To achieve lasting reform, we must bring together support from across the aisle.”

This article was originally published by Filter, an online magazine covering drug use, drug policy and human rights through a harm reduction lens. Follow Filter on Bluesky, X or Facebook, and sign up for its newsletter.