“A libertarian is a conservative who grows his own dope.”

It was a comedian’s pithy one-liner from about a decade ago that turned out to be prophetic, with medical or recreational marijuana becoming a legal cash crop in 29 states, including Pennsylvania.

Congress has proved reluctant and resistant, of course. Republican lawmakers this past week blocked a vote on a bill that would have allowed Veterans Affairs doctors to prescribe medical marijuana as a pain treatment for military veterans in states where it’s been legalized.

The House Rules Committee stopped a proposed “Veterans Equal Access” amendment from moving to debate on the House floor by keeping the measure out of the House’s proposed VA funding bill for next year.

The measure would have allowed VA doctors to consider medical marijuana for interested patients and complete the forms necessary to participate in state medical marijuana programs.

It would seem imperative to go ahead and have the debate, as the VA is attempting to scale back its widespread distribution of opioid medications for treatment of chronic pain. For many disabled veterans, medicinal marijuana presents a viable alternative to oxycodone or fentanyl, with fewer side effects, medical experts say.

Veterans and advocacy groups have worked for years to promote medical marijuana as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other combat-related conditions. The American Legion, the largest veterans organization with 2.4 million members, last August called for marijuana to be rescheduled as something other than a Schedule 1 drug to promote research on its use in medical treatment. VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin said in May that any decision on rescheduling marijuana would have to come from Congress but he expressed interest in it as a potential treatment if research supports it.

But with marijuana still illegal under federal law, VA physicians and other providers are prohibited from recommending medical marijuana or filling out the needed paperwork to qualify for it. Veterans still can seek treatment outside the VA but must pay out-of-pocket if they desire marijuana treatments.

And rest assured, they will desire marijuana treatments. Chronic pain being what it is, rest assured patients will seek out relief whether it’s legal or illegal — particularly amid the repeated realizations that opioids can be lethal.

In coming months, as Pennsylvania assembles the framework of its statewide medical marijuana network, grow operations will be established as state-of-the-art enterprises, employing and training master agriculturalists to cultivate a high-quality product.

There will be temptation for every individual involved to “pick up a little business on the side.” Black markets will emerge. They already exist. Marijuana is a weed, after all. How do you regulate a weed?

Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, the industry will greatly test the parameters of regulatory enforcement — ultimately to deny pain relief to a military veteran who may have shed blood and risked life in defense of American freedoms.

There is a need to regulate marijuana production and consumption. After all, it is a drug that alters the mood and mind — and a serious potential revenue enhancement for government.

But instead of miring veterans in regulation, we should do the opposite: exempt veterans. Grant disabled veterans this ultimate pursuit of happiness. Provide them their medical marijuana at taxpayer expense.

Better yet, let the veteran grow his own marijuana. Allot space in a VA garden or greenhouse for cultivation.

It’s a libertarian thing to do.