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How Many Lives Can You Save With a 5 x 5-foot Grow Tent ?
Veteran grows cannabis because he believes it was put on this earth for the people .
I by Todd Scattini , contributing writer
have observed firsthand the life-saving benefits of cannabis , both the consumption and the cultivation of this complex , longmaligned and beautiful plant .
My Family and I moved to Missouri in 2016 . I had been assigned to teach at Fort Leavenworth ’ s Command and General Staff College — my last duty assignment in a 27-year Army career . I chose to live in Missouri because I knew activists were working hard to “ legalize it ” in the Show-Me-State , so we bought a house in Platte City , MO .
At this point , I had been privately researching cannabis , with a particular focus on hemp , for five years . I arrived just in time to witness medical cannabis legalization fail to make it on the November ballot . So , I joined Kansas City NORML to help get language on the ballot in 2018 and was so proud of our work there .
I have a neighborhood friend , a fellow veteran , a Marine , who struggled with several issues that resulted from his service to the nation . He struggled with alcohol and other substances , bringing stress and pressure on his personal and professional life , especially his marriage . When we legalized cannabis in Missouri , we were able to get him a license to consume cannabis and cultivate cannabis at home .
He bought a basic 5 x 5-foot grow tent grow kit online and began to “ grow his own .” I watched a change in his demeanor immediately when he started to grow . He was more relaxed , calm , and focused . I recognized a sense of hope in his eyes that I hadn ’ t seen previously . Months after he started growing , he dropped by my house with some flower he had grown . He brought his wife along with him . He looked me in the eye and said , “ Todd , you helped save my life with this plant . Thank you , Sir .” I felt my throat tighten as I was struck by emotion , but I didn ’ t cry . Then , his wife grabbed me by the arm , looked me in the eye , and said , “ Todd , you saved our marriage . Thank you .” I cried . I know . I ’ m a former Army guy and supposed to be tough , but I cried . I was really proud of what we had accomplished in the state and the access we had given to veterans in Missouri that would lead to such liberation and benefit within a veteran family . have real therapeutic value . It led me to ask myself , “ How many lives can you save with a 5 x 5-foot grow tent ?”
So , my company Harvest 360 Technologies and the non-profit I co-founded , the Hemp For Victory Foundation , partnered with GrowGeneration , the Nation ’ s largest hydroponic equipment supplier , to find out the answer to that question .
GrowGeneration donated ten 5 x 5-foot grow tent kits to our organizations to give away to military veterans in Missouri and Kansas . In Missouri , veterans can legally grow medical cannabis ( we hope they do ). In Kansas , veterans will grow nutrient-dense microgreens , leafy greens , and other plants ( cannabis is not legal in Kansas just yet ).
On Veterans Day in 2022 , we began the process of identifying veterans that could benefit from growing indoors . Over the next ten months , I will be profiling these veterans , their growing progress , and the impact growing cannabis in Missouri and food in Kansas has had on their lives .
Our first veteran , Dave Ericson , has already been selected and is well on his way to a happy , healthy lifestyle cultivating legal , medical cannabis in Missouri .
I first met Dave Ericson at our local hockey arena , where he coached my son ’ s youth hockey team . We bonded over our common Army service , traded war stories , and eventually made our way to the subject of PTSD and how cannabis is helping so many veterans . He expressed
Now , I ’ m informed that my neighborhood veteran friend and his wife enjoy spending time together , tending to their plants , and have begun making edibles together . My Marine friend told me he is now treating his mother-in-law with cannabis cookies , which has completely saved his relationship with her .
If growing and consuming cannabis can save veteran lives and marriages and even repair relationships with in-laws , it must
Todd Scattini ( on left ) hands over a new GrowGeneration grow tent to fellow U . S . Army Veteran , Dave Ericson .
20 February 2023