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It’s the middle of 2015, and the United States is still fighting its old, failed, discredited war on drugs. But sometimes the battlefield fog lifts a little.

For example: A United States Senate committee has just voted to allow Veterans Affairs doctors to help their patients who want to use medical marijuana.

By an 18-12 vote in the Appropriations Committee on Thursday, senators of both parties approved an amendment offered by Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, and Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, attached to a larger spending bill. The measure would allow doctors – in states where medical marijuana is legal – to sign recommendation forms for patients seeking to use cannabis. Many veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries say marijuana is effective therapy for symptoms like pain, anxiety, nausea and disturbed sleep.

Members of Congress who profess to support disabled veterans should rush to embrace the amendment, and join the larger battle by reformers to build a saner federal approach to cannabis.

The amendment was a part of a larger bill to legalize medical marijuana, the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States, or CARERS, Act, sponsored by Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Rand Paul of Kentucky. The Senate has not held any hearings on that bill. Legalization advocates acknowledge that Congress is lagging the states on this issue, but they are willing to take progress where they can get it.

“We will move the CARERS Act piece by piece if we have to, but now is the time for the Senate to hold a hearing on the bill as a whole,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance.