The Pennsylvania state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs reported the policy update to SAMHSA grant beneficiaries. The federal government has deleted verbiage from its terms and conditions that previously prohibited grant monies from going to any establishment that “provides or permits marijuana use for the purposes of treating substance use or mental disorders,” according to the report.
Because of the limitations, the state department issued a notice in June notifying beneficiaries and candidates that grants could be withheld. Additionally, the now lifted prohibition led to the Maine state Education Department receiving notice last year that it was no longer qualified for certain federal grants to assist mental health programs in schools because the state allowed students to use medicinal cannabis.
Even with the current modification, SAMHSA maintains a stricter restriction, stating that government monies “may not be used to purchase, prescribe, or provide marijuana or treatment using marijuana.”
