CANNAHEALTH Opioids, Veterans and Addiction | Page 35

avidly supporting legal Cannabis use and cultivation despite its federal status? They are supporting hemp because there is no moral, legal or ethical dilemma in the form of Cannabis known as industrial hemp. They see the great potential that hemp has to help transform the lives of veterans who are literally struggling and suffering each and every day with chronic pain, unemployment/underemployment, PTSD, and the list goes on. The very medicines they are being given are often compounding the problem. Opioids are among the most commonly prescribed medicines for veterans. That’s why #2 is so important.

Opioids are highly addictive and their use and abuse pose a serious and ongoing public health crisis.

In this day and age, we need to take a hard look at the array of medications we use for pain management, seizure disorders, inflammation, anxiety, PTSD, sleep disorders and cancer treatment and prevention. Unfortunately, a good many of the medications that are commonly prescribed for these ailments are highly addictive and come with a host of side effects. They also kill people. Yes, that’s right. Opioids are a dangerous business. I’m not here to tell anyone to stop taking their medication. I’m just here talking about a plant that can be grown for medicine, is selected for extremely low levels of the intoxicating cannabinoid THC, is non-addictive and has no known side effects.

In many cases, hemp derived medicines are not only effective in treating a wide range of primary ailments, they can also treat a host of the side effects known to be caused by other medications. In a number of studies, hemp derived medicines continue to show great promise in helping people manage and overcome opioid addiction in a safe and effective way.

When we consider #1 and #2 above, we might also consider that the way we’ve been doing things is not sustainable, nor is it very