Veterans

Ukraine’s medical cannabis legalization policy took effect last Friday as the country continues to defend itself against the aggression of neighboring Russia. Under the new policy, military veterans with PTSD and cancer patients are allowed access to medical cannabis products.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) could finally let veterans participate in state-legal medical cannabis programs under a House-approved amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilConVA) Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.

Missouri cannabis taxes have generated over $19 million to support veterans, expand the state’s substance use treatment programs, and fund the Public Defenders System.

Leading veterans groups and U.S. law enforcement officials have urged the Biden Administration to reschedule cannabis, highlighting its potential benefits for veterans and the need for reform to enhance treatments and reduce unnecessary legal consequences.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services this week transferred $13 million in revenue from the state’s medical cannabis program to the Missouri Veterans Commission.

A New York Supreme Court justice this week temporarily blocked the issuing of new retail cannabis licenses following a lawsuit by veterans who claim that officials have failed to follow social equity provisions in the state’s cannabis legalization law.

The U.S. House voted this week to add an amendment to the must-pass federal National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would end the prohibition on VA providers helping veterans to access state-legal medical cannabis programs.

A recent study published in Clinical Therapeutics found that 91% of military veterans who use medical cannabis said it has improved their quality of life.

Sen. John Tester (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said that a proposal to research medical cannabis use by veterans may be dead following its rejection in the Senate last week.

About one in 10 military veterans in the U.S. reported having used cannabis within the past year, according to a recent study.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs advanced a bill this week mandating investigations into the effectiveness of medical cannabis as a treatment for PTSD and chronic pain.

The Canadian government spent $153 million in fiscal year 2021-2022 to reimburse medical cannabis purchases by more than 18,000 veterans.

Michigan is giving $12.5 million to two universities to facilitate research into the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis for veterans suffering from PTSD.

The veteran advocacy group Weed for Warriors Project is running campaign ads calling out California politicians for not supporting the legal cannabis industry.

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced an amendment this week to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Department of Defense to study the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for veterans.

A Florida hemp business owned by an ex-Marine was denied its service-disabled veteran-owned small business designation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over concerns that its recognition might amount to a federal agency endorsing a federally illegal drug.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said recently that he sympathizes with veterans who have turned to medical cannabis for relief and that the VA is “looking into” improving cannabis access for veterans.

Cara Wietstock, host of Fresh Cut by Ganjapreneur, meets with Colin Wells, a US Army Infantry veteran and founder of Veterans Walk and Talk. Cara and Colin explore how he overcame his own addiction after experiencing homelessness, the veteran experience, and how the combination of cannabis, psychedelics, nature, and community can improve veterans’ lives.

Missouri officials transferred more than $6.8 million of the state’s $8.9 million in cannabis tax revenue to the Veterans Commission, as required under the state’s medical cannabis law.

U.S. Navy veteran Howard Bailey, who was deported to Jamaica over a cannabis conviction, has returned home after more than a decade.

A key Senate committee approved language that would let VA doctors make medical cannabis recommendations for veterans in states with medical cannabis programs.

North Carolina’s medical cannabis bill has passed the Senate Finance Committee, its second victory so far on its way to a potential floor vote in the Senate.

A new study shows an increase in the number of U.S. military veterans using cannabis, although Veteran Affairs doctors still cannot recommend it to patients at agency-run hospitals.

Texas lawmakers approved legislation over the weekend to study the effectiveness of psychedelics in treating PTSD among veterans and to reduce possession penalties for cannabis concentrates.