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Smoke Em ’ If You Got Em ’!
Elderly Veterans Transitioning to Cannabis to Treat the Wounds of War and Time .
by Todd Scattini , contributing writer
I moved to Missouri in 2016 with big goals and high intentions to legalize medical cannabis and make it accessible to the veteran community .
At the time , I was still serving in the U . S . Army as the Defense Attaché to Slovenia . My assignment officer had offered me three options : Côte d ’ Ivoire on the West Coast of the African continent , where I would have served as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché ; Washington D . C ., as the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and Ft . Leavenworth , KS . In Kansas , I would serve at the Command and General Staff College as an instructor in the Department of Joint , Multinational , and Interagency Operations , where I would teach mid-level officers ( U . S . and foreign ), as well as State Department Officials and other members of the inter-agency .
I chose to serve my last tour of duty in Kansas so that I could help drive change in Missouri . I was part of the activist community working with KC NORML to change laws so that military veterans from ALL generations could have access to medical cannabis , and we could set the conditions for research into the plant so that the military , veterans , and their families could benefit from its life-saving properties .
My logic was that the men and women who had served their country , sometimes resulting in wounds both visible and invisible , deserved access to address these issues using cannabis safely and effectively as medicine .
I knew the post-9 / 11 veteran population that I would soon be ( and now am ) a part of was suffering from significantly elevated instances of suicide and substance abuse issues . By the time I arrived in Missouri , I was convinced through my research and personal experience that cannabis could reduce the number of suicides among our ranks and that cannabis , when used properly , could address chronic pain , insomnia , depression , and anxiety . And that doesn ’ t give nearly enough credit to the plant for what it can provide as hemp for food , fuel , fiber , building materials , and more .
As a part of KC NORML , I met many veterans in Missouri and across the country who were benefiting from cannabis , some having reduced their prescription medicine intake and alcohol consumption to ZERO . I was especially drawn to many of the older veterans — those who had served during the Vietnam era . They reminded me of many of my mentors , my father , and my stepfather , who served during that period .
I was particularly honored to fight for legal access to cannabis alongside the likes of George Biswell , a former U . S . Air Force enlisted man during the Vietnam era . I wrote about him in last month ’ s ( April issue ) article and how he continues to elevate the veteran voice and is benefiting from the ability to grow his own medical cannabis at home . He is one of the happiest , most energetic , and most motivated seniors I know .
Through the Veterans On Cannabis show ( also supported by The EVOLUTION Magazine ) that I co-hosted alongside fellow Hemp For Victory Foundation ( www . hemp4victory . info ) board member , Sergeant ( Ret .) Chris Wolfengarger , I had the distinct privilege of interviewing Missouri ’ s only recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor , Colonel ( Ret .) Donald “ Doc ” Ballard . If you don ’ t know the story , Doc , as a Navy Corpsman , literally jumped on a grenade to save the lives of three Marines in Vietnam . He is a National Treasure and a true hero .
In the past , I ’ ve been lucky enough to help transport “ Doc ” back and forth to his doctor appointments . He shared with me how cannabis allowed him to significantly reduce pharmaceutical consumption simply by taking cannabis gummies . He said that the plant is a blessing in his life and agrees that the Veterans Administration should provide access to medical cannabis to veterans in the same manner it is done in Canada , where their VA pays for their cannabis medicine . ( Note : Reports from Canada confirm that the sky there has not fallen , but alcohol and pharmaceutical dependence has ).
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article discussing the potential dangers associated with medical cannabis use among the elderly , including drug interactions and increased risk of falls . While there is certainly merit to the claims in the article , I believe that the potential benefits of medical cannabis for elderly veterans far outweigh the risks .
Medical marijuana has been used for centuries to treat various ailments ; the elderly population is no exception . Cannabis has been shown to be particularly effective for a variety of geriatric issues , such as chronic pain , sleep disorders , anxiety , depression , and PTSD . In fact , research has indicated that cannabis may even be more effective at treating some of these conditions in the elderly population than in the general population .
20 May 2023