A growing number of states are weighing whether to legalize marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. But for many veterans, the debate is already over. They’re increasingly using cannabis even though it is unapproved by the Department of Veterans Affairs because major studies have yet to show it is effective against PTSD.
A Kansas legislative committee heard from opponents of a bill allowing for medical hemp preparations to treat seizures. The dissenters said that a broader version of the measure could reverse rampant abuse of prescription drugs.
A Washington state military veteran has launched a support group to reduce suicide rates called Twenty22Many, which is promoting medical marijuana use.
A marijuana giveaway for veterans attracted about 1,000 people to a Colorado Springs hotel.
More than 200 veterans are expected to attend the Denver Cannabis Giveaway on Saturday, organizers say.
A Colorado group plans to give free recreational marijuana and pot-growing supplies to United States military veterans. Operation Grow4Vets said it is launching Project Better Medicine to give veterans the “best medical treatment” available.
The federal government has signed off on a long-delayed study looking at marijuana as a treatment for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, a development that drug researchers are hailing as a major shift in U.S. policy.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that the next Congress will accelerate our progress to reform cannabis laws on the national level. “
Marijuana has enjoyed some head winds lately, even as regulating it faces an uncertain future in the Trump administration.
Louisiana lawmakers are moving to expand the state’s medical marijuana program, as the product nears availability within months.
“I have concluded descheduling the drug is needed so that we can do research and allow [the Department of Veterans Affairs] to offer it as a treatment option in the fight against the opioid epidemic that is ravaging our communities,” he said.
“Over the last 10 or 15 years, the American people’s attitudes have changed dramatically,” John Boehner, 68, said in an interview. “I find myself in that same position.”
One veterans organization called David Shulkin’s tenure at the VA, “a blunder that has caused harm to millions of veterans.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has announced an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program. The announcement comes as Murphy pushes for legalized recreational marijuana in New Jersey.
Still no federal support for research into whether medical marijuana could help veterans suffering from PTSD, though
Los Angeles Times Editorial Board: The president could learn a lot by doing more than a border wall photo op and a private fundraiser. But he’d first have to take a real interest in the people and experiences that have made California a deeply blue state — and made America what it is today.
“If nothing else, I would like to see the ability for researchers to study the medical effects of marijuana to see if the benefits are really there,” Rep. Doug Lamborn told CPR News.
The Colorado cannabis industry’s effort to corner the wellness market is expanding with the April debut of a cannabis health fair in Denver.
The plaintiffs, including an Iraq War veteran, a child with a seizure disorder and an ex-NFL player, claimed that the CSA’s classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance is so “irrational” that it violates the U.S. Constitution.
The Florida congressman is 13 months and 11 days into his first term. He’s still on step one of Operation: Disrupt Congress.
“Referendum is pure democracy and it has not worked for 15,000 years,” the Republican governor said.
“How could anyone say that your clients’ lives have not been saved by marijuana?” the judge asked a lead attorney for the plaintiffs, which include an Iraq War vet, a child with a seizure disorder and an ex-NFL player.
A Missouri bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim Neely would provide access to medical marijuana for people who have terminal conditions.
Average hourly earnings for employees in security and armored car services jumped 17 percent, compared with a 2.5 percent increase for all U.S. private-sector workers in the same period.
A new directive from the Veterans Health Administration urges vets and their physicians to open up on the subject of medical marijuana, but whether vets will do so remains to be seen.
