You may have read my op-ed "Rescheduling Marijuana Is a Responsible Choice for America" in The Washington Times-if not, I'd like to take a moment to talk about it. Here's the topline:

• Rescheduling, not legalizing. It's about making sure that cannabis is accessed safely, responsibly, and legally. It's why I introduced the Veterans Equal Access Act-a straightforward bill that allows veterans and their doctors to take control of their healthcare decisions and use all the possible tools for healing.

• Protecting our children.Better regulation means better enforcement. Rescheduling would give our law enforcement the tools to crack down on illegal drug markets that exploit minors and contribute to crime.

• More research. Recognizing that cannabis can have medical benefits creates more jobs, more effective treatment methods, and better research.

• Common sense. I know what it's like to be prescribed addictive pain medication after service-related injuries. Those drugs can devastate service members and ruin lives-we need more options for veterans battling recovery.

This discussion impacts community health, our law enforcement, and all of our individual rights as Americans.