Veterans in the United States often feel betrayed by their own country or by their government. Many veterans develop either physical or psychological wounds because of their experiences. Many veterans feel they have received poor service from the Veterans Administration (VA). Around 22 veterans commit suicide every day, and veterans see the effort to address this problem as wholly inadequate. Unsuccessful suicide survivors report that “they just wanted the pain to go away…”
Many veterans use cannabis to address physical pain and to reduce the effect of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Cannabis has also helped many veterans lessen their use of dangerous addictive opioids like oxycodone. Cannabis may reduce the effects of PTSD because of its ability to interfere with dream-recall. However, cannabis qualifies as a mild hallucinogen, and may act in a manner like psilocybin to promote new neural connections and thus allow the brain to reduce traumatic memories.
Scientific research into clinical use of cannabis remains slow even though several pharmaceutically approved cannabinoids are available. In Arizona, a right-wing politician sabotaged veteran-cannabis research for personal political gain.
Indeed, cannabis is also reported to help traumatic brain injury, cancer, individual attitudes, and thoughts of suicide. In spite of all this, the U.S. Federal Government classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 Drug which means it is addictive and has no medical benefits (wrong on both counts).
According to the VA, veterans are encouraged to discuss the use of cannabis with their VA provider. However, the VA will record this use in the veteran’s medical record. As a Schedule 1 drug, the VA can neither recommend nor prescribe the use of cannabis. Nor can they provide any documentation to state-approved medical cannabis programs. The VA can neither provide cannabis nor pay for its use. Veterans who work for the VA are subject to drug testing and punishment for testing positive.
The VA claims benefits will not be taken away from veterans for cannabis use. In fact, however, the VA does deny veteran benefits ranging from medical prescriptions to VA loans solely because a veteran is participating in a state-approved marijuana program or working in the cannabis industry. Despite reassurances from the VA, veterans report that they fear the loss of their benefits if they test positive, for whatever reason.
In fact, VA physicians, and VA staff in general have no understanding of cannabis or its benefits. Like the Federal Government, the organization maintains a state of ignorance if not stupidity regarding cannabis. The VA is years away from developing a mature posture based on science. In one sad story, a fathers begged his daughter to bring him some cannabis to address his pain. The daughter, a nurse, jeopardized her own license to bring cannabis to her dying veteran father.
The rational use of effective cannabis remedies for veterans is on indefinite hold. This results in veterans needlessly suffering and dying because of a politicized culture war snafu. The U.S. has a lot of work to do… ///
Komentarze