It’s no secret that veterans are a key group of medical cannabis users in the U.S. and beyond, and later this month, the platform MississippiMedicalMarijuanas.com is looking to expand their access even further.
On March 30, the platform announced that it will hold a medical cannabis mass-certification event for Mississippi Veterans at the Westin Hotel in Jacon, Mississippi on April 30, said to be the largest veterans cannabis certification event in the U.S., according to a news release.
The event will provide more than $75,000 worth of medical cannabis diagnoses, certifications and cannabis subsidies for 250 veterans in the state looking for certification but, due to financial hardship, are unable to afford certification on their own.
The MississippiMedicalMarijuanas.com parent company, ElysianMed, will cover the event and prescriber costs for all 250 veterans. The company is partnering with Better Business Bureau-accredited medical cannabis certified Chronic Cardz, which will provide the prescribers and patient resources for the event.
The event will also launch the company’s Veteran Cannabis Support Program (VCSP) initiative. The VSCP initiative is meant to provide resources and benefits, through partnerships with local dispensaries, prescribers and other medical cannabis businesses, to vets seeking medical cannabis.
The private initiative was founded by ElysianMed CEO Roman Alexander Wellington.
“We have just been informed that a veterans cannabis mass-certification event of this scale, where the fees for the certifications are completely covered for 250 veterans, has never been done in a single day in the U.S.,” Wellington said. “So we are proud to be able to launch this first event in Mississippi where there is such a high concentration of veterans, especially those facing financial hardships.”
Mississippi Rep. De’Keither Stamps (D), a U.S. Army veteran and co-sponsor of Mississippi cannabis legislation HB-1158, also shared his gratitude regarding the upcoming event, citing the participating organizations recognition of “the tremendous effort Mississippi has put in to make medical cannabis available to our veteran population, and that they have chosen to hold such a momentous and historic event here in our beautiful state.”
Stamps added that veterans and service member representatives like him are routinely fighting for better, more affordable, and alternative healthcare treatment options.
“It is my hope that by having events like this, Mississippi can help lead the charge across the nation for medical cannabis to be seen as a safe alternative treatment option for our veteran communities,” Stamps said.
The representative is also slated to speak at the press conference to be held on the morning of the event. Several political and business VIPs from around the country have also requested to attend the event.
“We have received tremendous interest in the event from political and business leaders in other states which already have active medical cannabis programs, as well as those still considering it,” Wellington said. “Several have asked to either attend the event themselves, or send representative delegates. It is our hope that this event will allow us to show the incredible benefit that providing veteran-focused medical cannabis programs can have not just in Mississippi, but across the nation.”
MississippiMedicalMarijuanas.com will choose the 250 veterans for the event via a random draw on April 20, 2023, to be able to provide fair and equal access to the event. Interested veterans can sign up to enter the random draw for free using the event sign-up form.
While the event is exclusive to Mississippi vets, it echoes broader conversations around the country surrounding veteran needs and medical cannabis access. Veterans are able to obtain medical cards, but unlike countries like Canada, which have established a reimbursement policy for veterans’ medical cannabis, the U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot recommend or cover medical cannabis.
A new survey also revealed that nearly one in 10 veterans reported past-year cannabis use, additionally noting a significant increase (56%) in overall veteran cannabis use from 2013 to 2019. Researchers noted that the increase in veteran use, especially given the context of federal VA provider restrictions, carries implications for “issues of care coordination and safe supply for veterans.”
“Given the rapidly changing and heterogenous landscape of recreational and medical marijuana policy in the US, the present study may inform harm reduction efforts and behavioral interventions,” survey researchers concluded.
