The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should allow its doctors to discuss and recommend medical marijuana as a treatment option in New York and other states where it has been legalized, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said Sunday.

The agency’s prohibition, which is up for renewal Monday should end, she said.

“This VA rule is discriminating against our veterans,” Gillibrand said at a Manhattan news conference with former members of the armed forces, physicians and other advocates.

“Instead of giving our veterans this modern treatment option, we are instead letting antiquated ideology get in the way of scientific progress.”

A little over a year ago, the Department of Justice released the infamous “Wilkinson Memo” containing DOJ policy guidance to U.S. District Attorneys on Marijuana in Indian Country.

Chaos ensued.

Media and industry began shouting “Marijuana is legal in Indian Country!” from the rooftops. Tribal leaders were swarmed by tribal members demanding that marijuana be immediately legalized. State and local jurisdictions were worried about the impact of legalization on their jurisdictions. Some tribes immediately announced their intent to open large marijuana operations; other tribes issued strong statements against legalization, and lawyers all started scratching our heads.

For the second time in five months, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signaled his distaste for broadening the state’s new medical marijuana program, declining to add chronic pain and seven other health conditions to the list of diseases that can be treated with the drug.

The Department of Public Health announced the decision, spurning recommendations of an expert advisory board largely appointed by the governor’s predecessor, Democrat Pat Quinn.

The expert panel reviewed medical evidence and listened to patient testimony before recommending the eight conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects many military veterans. Other conditions recommended but rejected Friday were autism, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoarthritis and four pain syndromes.

Puerto Rico is now among the many states in the Latin America which have adopted the use of marijuana in medicine.

According to Puerto Rico's Public Affairs Secretary Jesus Manuel Ortiz, as per Fox News Latino, the whole system is slated to be implemented by the end of this year. The country's health department announced Thursday that it will be implementing a "seed-to-sale inventory tracking system."

WEST PALM BEACH (CBS12) —

Will Florida join the list of states that have legalized medical marijuana?

It's very possible considering this week's announcement that medical marijuana will be on the November ballot in Florida.

For some medical marijuana would be a blessing.

Others see it as a disaster.

Ava Pence of Palm Beach Gardens got the birthday wish she wanted this week--medical marijuana on the November ballot. She learned on her birthday that enough signatures were obtained to place it on the ballot and voters will get to decide.

Bad news for supporters of legal marijuana: One state's highest court recently announced it was voiding a decriminalization ordinance that passed last April.

Ready or not, here comes marijuana!

The past two decades have featured a fairly steady expansion in the legal uses of marijuana across the United States. Since 1996, when California passed Proposition 215, which allowed marijuana to be medically prescribed to treat select ailments, a total of 23 states, along with Washington D.C., have legalized the use of marijuana for specific approved conditions.

Earlier this week Civilised shared a short piece on Justin Trudeau, warmly welcoming him to the cannabis community as he begins his premiership.

Civilised is an online journal that represents ‘the millions of motivated, productive adults who choose to enjoy cannabis recreationally’ across the USA, and, for Civilised, the emergence of Trudeau appears akin to that of a long awaited saviour, modernising and maturing the face of cannabis advocacy.

The Non-Partisan Association has taken another run at the city's handling of marijuana applications.

Coun. Melissa De Genova has presented a notice of motion calling for "an immediate moratorium on allDevelopment Permit Reviews and processes for Medical Marijuana-Related Uses".

The motion also calls upon council to "direct staff to proceed with the enforcement of closure orders for all existing medical marijuana-related retail businesses in the City of Vancouver".

The group pushing for a November referendum on marijuana legalization will submit its signatures to the secretary of state Monday, paving the way for a decision on whether Maine should join the growing number of states to accept recreational use of the drug.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, which backs a bill that would allow adults 21 and older to possess marijuana, said Sunday that it had collected 103,115 signatures in its quest to become the first East Coast state to legalize pot for recreational use. The campaign must submit 61,123 valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

In this year’s legislative session, one of the more controversial topics to be discussed is whether or not the state should allow any kind of cannabis products to be available for medical use.