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. [Read more at NJ.com]