The Show Me State is closing its eyes when it comes to the use of medical marijuana in some local nursing homes.
This past November, Missouri voters gave their approval to legalize medical marijuana, the 33rd state to do so. But the executive director of the state veterans commission said this week that cannabis will remain prohibited in Missouri veterans homes.
Grace Link said at a recent meeting that the prohibition is necessary for the homes to remain in compliance with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which still considers marijuana illegal, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday.
“We have to meet VA standards,” Link said Monday “We have to comply with federal guidelines.”
Seven veterans’ nursing homes across Missouri serve 1,350 residents. Running afoul of federal drug laws could jeopardize $80 million in funds from the federal government, officials said.
