Nonprofit Group in Santa Cruz Gives Veterans Free Cannabis
In mid-August, the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance (SCVA) gave out free medical cannabis to an estimated 100 veterans. It’s all a part of the SCVA’s Alliance Compassion Program that welcomes men and women from different branches and eras of the military. The veterans provide the required identification and medical cannabis card, and in turn the SCVA gives them medical cannabis.
“Plants, not pills” is the motto of Aaron Newsom, the co-founder and vice president of the organization. Having served in the Marine Corps between 2002 and 2008, Newsom understands the importance of helping treat veterans with their various ailments. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, an estimated 60 percent of those returning from deployment in the Middle East, as well as 50 percent of older veterans, suffer from chronic pain. Around 13 percent of veterans who use opioids have developed and are suffering from “opioid use disorder.”
Medical cannabis however is well known for its benefits in treating a variety of ailments, and its ability to eliminate other prescriptions that may cause harmful side effects, “What veterans need, what everyone needs, is alternatives to prescription medications. Not just narcotics, but also the wide range of antidepressants and their negative side effects,” Newsom stated.
Aside from providing local veterans with much needed medicine, the SCVA is also a community group for veterans, where they can speak about their military experiences and how medical cannabis has helped them.
If you are a veteran in the Santa Cruz area and would like to take advantage of the SCVA’s Alliance Compassion Program, visit VFW Post 7263, 2259 Seventh Ave., Santa Cruz, on the first and third Monday of every month between 6pm and 8pm. All you need to enroll is proof of military service, a doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis and a valid California ID or driver’s license. For more information, visit scveteransalliance.com.
