May is National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM), and properly addressing the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), body pain and responsible care of our veterans after their service continues to be a structural challenge for the United States. Many veterans are steering away from opioid treatments of the past in lieu of alternatives, and with the progress in cannabis legislation in states across the country, we could be on the verge of better, ongoing veteran care.
One major change, specifically in the realm of medical cannabis for military veterans, is a bipartisan coalition of congressional lawmakers reintroduced legislation in April that could federally legalize medical cannabis for vets.
The bill is being sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Dave Joyce (R-OH), both co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus in the House with nine other original cosponsors. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) is leading the proposal from the Senate, joined by five other lawmakers including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
The Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act would allow veterans to temporarily, legally possess and use cannabis under federal law as recommended by doctors and in accordance with laws in the state. In addition, physicians in the US Department of Veterans Affairs would be allowed for the first time to issue recommendations.
“It has been scientifically proven that medical marijuana has a considerable impact in treating conditions common with veterans when they return from service, like chronic pain and PTSD,” Lee said in a press release. “This legislation will empower veterans and their doctors to make informed decisions about the use of medical marijuana to treat chronic conditions in states with legal medical marijuana programs without federal interference.”
In addition to cannabis, investors and cannabis companies are beginning to look into psychedelics to help treat a range of mental health and behavioral issues, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and addiction. The main component in psychedelic mushrooms, psilocybin, can activate serotonin receptors and stimulate the neural activity in the brain to enhance consciousness.
Av Singh, a Canadian cultivation consultant working with the cannabis industry, said psychedelics feel similar to the conversations around cannabis, in that it is just as much a medicinal conversation as it is a business and monetary conversation. Singh’s main focus in psychedelics is advocating for veterans’ access to help treat PTSD through a group called Veterans for Healing.
While there is plenty of progessive movement toward more alternative treatment for veterans, many states are still introducing medical cannabis access in general, with states like Mississippi recently overturning a voter-approved medical legalization ballot, or a medical cannabis bill in Nebraska being stopped by filibuster, both just this month.
However, new research is on the horizon, and with the bipartisan bill in the works pushing for better federal protections for veterans and alternative, post-service care, we are hopefully on the verge of more accessible, alternative care for veterans in the US.
