Veterans and Marijuana
Should VA doctors be allowed to recommend patient access to medical pot?
Ayear ago, Arkansans voted to legalize medical marijuana. Since then, the state has been working out the details and, even then, it doesn’t look like the dispensaries will be up and dispensing before the fall of next year at the earliest.
Some place great value in the alleged medicinal powers of marijuana. Other aren’t so sure. But it’s safe to say that many individuals are eager to begin buying the stuff legally for a wide variety of conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
But one group that, if proponents are correct about the therapeutic properties, could be among the most to benefit won’t be able to access marijuana through their usual medical provider.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does not allow their doctors to recommend patients for medical marijuana cards nor will the VA pay a penny for medical marijuana.
A new policy allows VA doctors to discuss the use of medical marijuana and how it would affect current treatment and prescriptions, but they still are not allowed to facilitate access to the drug.
That’s not enough for some veterans groups, which say the VA has an obligation to provide the best care, even if that includes marijuana. But the VA’s hands are pretty much tied since marijuana remains a Schedule 1 illegal drug under federal law.
We want to know what you think. Should VA doctors be allowed to recommend veterans for medical marijuana cards and should the government pay for the substance on the same basis they would any other prescription medicine? Or do you think that is a bad idea?
Send your response (50 words maximum) to opinion@texarkanagazette.com by Wednesday, Jan. 3. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St, Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday’s paper.
Last Week: Academics or Athletics?
Last week’s question was about raising pay for high school coaches while the rest of the school faces budget cuts. Is a school district justified in giving a football or other athletic coach a raise in pay while in a budget crisis so severe they are cutting academic budgets and laying off teachers? Of does a team’s drawing power justify paying a coach more money?
A coach making $154,900 a year, more than three times what he should be? That’s asinine! Average classroom teacher salary for Texas is what—$40,000 or so? State should require third-grade level reading and spelling skills for anyone applying for a coach’s job, and cap their salary at $25,000!—F. G., Atlanta, Texas
Depends on if you want your kids to be educated and go to college and earn degrees and get good jobs, or if you want great glory day stories about a high school championship while your kids have injuries, concussions, early arthritis, and no education to get a good job.—J.R., Texarkana, Ark.
As a retired teacher of 28 years this is the most secret of the sacred cows. Athletic budgets are sometimes more than the whole high school core course budgets in small schools. Student teacher ratio 30 to 1. In athletics 7 to 1. They do not make money, that is a myth.—D.P., DeKalb, Texas
Great coaches are great motivators and help instill character, grit and lifelong competitiveness in their players. I played for Scott Surratt in the mid-90’s. Over 20 years later, I still draw from the mentorship I received under Coach Surratt. I appreciate all the work of my teachers, but there is something special about a great coach.—T.O., Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Why would the paper even ask this ridiculous question? Makes me wonder if the editor had a bad experience at school, and therefore doesn’t respect education and/or teachers. Also wonder if education is of any value to the populous? Is football more important than lifelong skills? Sorry state of affairs when the football coach makes more than a teacher. But then again, check the salaries of football college coaches and they make twice or even more than most professors. Very sad. No further comment is necessary.—S.D., Texarkana, Texas
There must be something in the water in Carthage that make their citizens goofy. Remember the movie Vinney, about a local undertaker that spent all of local widow’s money and when the money ran out he stuffed her in his freezer. Is this happening to the school children of Carthage? Cutting out 30 teachers and benefits so football can be the King. I feel it a tragedy that the students are being put this in position. It is time for people to wake up and realize that education is prime reason for school.— G.W., Texarkana, Texas From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette And its money, how could I guess ? Coming to Marshall next. lol Fire all coaches. Academics should always take precedence over athletics.
And we wonder why athletes cannot survive in the real world. It is high school! We continue to graduate kids that cannot read, do math or even find a job because the school system failed to teach them the basics. Instead we corruptly use and abuse them to make money for the athletic programs. This is obscene, yet occurs in every school everywhere!
Athletes are games, kids need academics to make a living instead of being freeloaders with limited futures. We have more than enough on welfare, starving and living on the streets.
It is called school, its purpose is education. Sports are called extra curricular activities for a reason. First we must educate our children and nothing should detract from that.
Al Bundy once scored four touchdowns in a single high school championship game including the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. Look at how successful he became.
With all the issues around funding all programs and teachers at the school district, I think this raise should have been thought through and not granted if they had to cut other programs to do so. Financially irresponsible … Shouldn’t the proper question be; Why in the world did the state gut their funding? By 7 MILLION? And you’re worried about $20,000? Really?