We’ve reported in the past about the potential effectiveness of medical cannabis use for military veterans suffering from PTSD. As that issue slowly but surely progresses forward, some members of the American Legion are starting to take more drastic action. Last year, the organization called for the federal government to reschedule cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. Unfortunately, that hasn’t yet come to pass, as the absurd Schedule 1 classification remains.
Recently, the American Legion published a resolution that urges the federal government to give Department of Veterans Affairs doctors the ability to recommend cannabis in states where it is legal without the worry of being arrested or losing their licenses for doing so. This, of course, is a no-brainer to any reasonable person with any amount of compassion for suffering people in need of medicine. But peeling back the layers of the deeply entrenched drug war and prohibition takes longer than it likely should in most cases. The members of the American Legion hope that this resolution will help move that along in regards to veterans in need of the plant.
“More than half the states in the union have passed medical marijuana laws to date,” the resolution reads. “The American Legion urge the United States government to permit VA medical providers to be able to discuss with veterans the use of marijuana for medical purposes and recommend it in those states where medical marijuana laws exist.”
Members of the American Legion are hopeful that a resolution like this one might hold more water than your average, run-of-the-mill legalization efforts.
“Our state congressmen, when the American Legion says something, they listen. Hopefully, this will have the same impact at the federal level,” said American Legion member Rob Ryan, author of the resolution. “People should not be afraid to go to their doctors and talk honestly.”
While mainstream outlets continue to make the claim that there is ‘little evidence’ for the effectiveness of cannabis in treating PTSD, the personal testimonials of those suffering from the disorder continue to increase. The main reason there’s a lack of evidence is because the continued illegality and Schedule 1 classification of cannabis are holding back the necessary research that would provide such evidence. It’s hard to believe educated people seem to struggle understanding that.
Of course, many people would vehemently disagree with Mr. Ryan’s sentiment that ‘lawmakers and congress listen when military vets talk’. Regardless, this resolution is an important one, because it is yet another highly respected organization coming out in support of medical cannabis and urging the federal government to take a more sensible approach to giving patients access to their medicine.
Well they need to let all their posts know this. On Thursday, 9/7/2017 Post 255 in Ridge, Maryland voted against letting a local cannabis dispensary and members of the Women’s Veterans Collective do a community education outreach seminar on medical cannabis for vets and The new Maryland Medical Cannabis Program at their post, (which is open to the public). The reason they gave, “The American legion doesn’t allow that kind of thing here.”