Soldiers have returned with PTSD and other serious ailments. The AMA and science said medical marijuana can help – but time may be running out.
In an acknowledgement from the medical community, the American Medical Association supports the rescheduling of cannabis to a Schedule III because it has proven medical benefits. A portion of the medical benefits help soldiers returning from service with both physical and mental scars. Unfortunately, time may be running out to help.
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Both Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did the research and agreed to the rescheduling. They are important organizations being clear it will help are military veterans. PTSD is real to the point of over 30,000 active duty personnel and veterans who have served in the military since 9/11 have committed suicide. That is the roughly the same amount of wiping out all of Fairbanks, Alaska. More veterans committed suicide, almost 100,000, after Vietnam, than in the war (roughly 58,000). Opioid addiction, which medical marijuana can combat, is raging among veterans with PTSD and chronic pain. But leaders like Mike Johnson (R-LA) have worked hard to block help.
While veteran facilities are federal property and therefore do not allow marijuana on premise, even in legal states, they have become supportive of medical marijuana. There have been significant treatment changes including:
- Veterans will not be denied VA benefits because of marijuana use.
- Veterans are encouraged to discuss marijuana use with their VA providers.
- VA health care providers will record marijuana use in the Veteran’s VA medical record in order to have the information available in treatment planning. As with all clinical information, this is part of the confidential medical record and protected under patient privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.
The clear case for medical marijuana has been proven by science, but with veterans, it is an important step to helping them in a return to civilian life. Representative Johnson has indicted with more control, marijuana could return to the outlaw status and the new GOP VP has stated he is not a fan of cannabis. The DEA must follow the recommendations and make a move quickly for this to happen and to help soldiers.
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Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are seeking to remove a controversial section of a Johnson approved spending bill which would block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana.
