Roger Martin

Name: Roger
Martin

Occupation: Founder
and Executive Director of Operation Grow4Vets

When and how did you
become an advocate for cannabis?  

I became an advocate for cannabis in 2010 after using
cannabis edibles to free myself from a years-long dependence on 180mg/day of
Oxycontin and 20+mg/night of Ambien. After decades of being in pain 24/7 and
being able to sleep only one to two hours a night, I am now in far less pain
than I was while taking Oxycontin and I can sleep four to seven hours a night
thanks to cannabis edibles. I later met hundreds of people who had used
cannabis to successfully treat a wide variety of medical conditions.

What’s your greatest
achievement for the cannabis cause? 

My greatest achievement in the cannabis cause is also, I
believe, the greatest achievement of my life—the incredibly humbling honor of
being allowed to serve American heroes who have sacrificed so much so that the
rest of us can live the dream. At a recent event in Colorado Springs, we
distributed over $74,000 in free, high-quality cannabis oil, cannabis, and
cannabis-infused and related products donated to us by our generous
sponsors. 

How did that manifest
for you? 

In 2013, I purchase a new German Shepherd puppy. At his
training sessions, I met many brave men and women who were training their pups
to act as service dogs. I was blown away by story-after-heartbreaking-story of
the sacrifices that these people and their families have endured so that you
and I could thrive in the safety and security of America.  

I knew that something had to be done to help these—the most
deserving among us—people who have put it all on the line for me and the almost
98 percent of Americans who have not had the good fortune of serving in the
military.

If you could change
one thing about the way cannabis is viewed and/or treated right now, what would
it be? 

I receive calls and emails daily from veterans who tell me
they are moving to Colorado because they are tired of being treated like
criminals in their home states. Others relate their stories to me through sobs
and tears—telling me that they cannot live another day with the deadly drug
cocktails that the VA is shoving down their throats. If I could change one
thing, it would be that part of human nature which allows so many people to
bury their heads in the sand while so many brave Americans are mistreated,
abused, imprisoned and too often killed by the American Government.