PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Rhode Island Senate has passed a bill that would approve the use of marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
The legislation passed by a 36-0 vote on Thursday.
Sen. Stephen Archambault, a Smithfield Democrat, introduced the bill that would make PTSD another one of the debilitating medical conditions that qualify an adult patient to use medical marijuana.
Several states have passed or are considering similar measures aimed at helping military veterans struggling to manage anxiety, insomnia and other ailments.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t allow doctors to prescribe marijuana, citing the lack of research about whether it’s effective in treating PTSD. The legislation now moves to the House of Representatives.
