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Veterans Affairs doctors can't recommend marijuana as a treatment to veterans, even in states where medical marijuana is legal.

That could soon change under a measure approved this week by the U.S. Senate that would allow Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend marijuana to patients in New Jersey and across the country, as reported by Marijuana Moment.

The measure, which is a part of the Senate's budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies, says that VA doctors would be able to recommend medical marijuana and help patients enroll in such programs.

For now, veterans have to go see a doctor outside of the VA, and likely pay out of pocket, to get a medical marijuana recommendation. (It's called a recommendation rather than a prescription because the drug isn't approved by the Food and Drug Administration.)

Ken Wolski, executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey, said if the bill passes it would be "a real step forward for veterans."

"They don't have to go through hoops to find a doctor to recommend medical marijuana," he said.

For this measure to pass, the U.S. House of Representatives would also have to sign off on it, which is far from certain. The House has previously rejected marijuana amendments this year.

Should it pass, Jersey veterans would be able to get a recommendation from their VA doctor, as long as that doctor registers with the state's medical marijuana program. New Jersey requires all doctors who want to recommend medical marijuana to register with the state Department of Health.

As it stands, Veterans Affairs doesn't prohibit veterans from participating in state-run medical marijuana programs, it just doesn't allow VA doctors to make recommendations or help patients register. The VA says it does allow doctors to discuss marijuana as an option for patients.

The rule changes proposed by the Senate would not allow VA insurance to pay for medical marijuana, since it remains federally illegal.

Allowing veterans to see their VA doctors could drive enrollment in New Jersey's medical marijuana program, which has grown substantially since the beginning of the year. The program has added more than 5,000 patients this year and now has around 24,000 total patients enrolled. Officials expect the program to keep growing.

The Health Department has received several waivers from existing medical marijuana dispensaries in the state and could issue more licenses later this summer based on new rules proposed by the department.

Legislation allowing a large-scale medical marijuana expansion was expected to pass before the end of the month but that appears to have stalled as lawmakers hustle to approve a state budget.

Those negotiations now figure to resume later this summer.

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Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Find NJ.com on Facebook.