Caring for our Veterans : The role of MMJ
- Seniors MMJ Network
- May 25, 2015
- 2 min read
Memorial day is a special day to honor our men and women in the Armed Forces, past and present. There is a special respect for these people and everyone agrees, they deserve our best. So, why was the option to allow VA doctors to talk about Medical Marijuana to Veterans with PTSD struck down last month? The vote, 210-213 was the narrowest of defeats considering one Democrat voted no when he meant to vote yes and one Republican voted no because the amendment didn't go far enough.
Amazingly, the wheels in Washington are moving fast, the Senate has already approved a new proposal, which is slightly reworded. The new Senate amendment marks the first time that Congress' upper chamber has voted positively on marijuana reform.The significant change to this amendment is, this will allow VA doctors in states where Medical Marijuana is legal to make a recommendation. Previously, it applied to all states and the concern of Marijuana's illegal Federal status raised conflicts in states with no legal MMJ program.
Fact : 22 US soldiers commit suicide every day. I didn't believe it myself the first time I read that. I did some research, that number is correct.
Medical Marijuana has been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD, many Veterans know this because it works for them. The use of MMJ in patients with treatment-resistant, post-traumatic stress disorder is supported by a variety of sources, including research in lab animals, functional MRI imaging in humans, and anecdotal reports from countless health practitioners and patients. Additionally, clinical research in Israel, evaluating Medical Marijuana as treatment for PTSD has been promising.
Dr. Sue Sisely has been at the forefront of MMJ for PTSD research in the US and is currently underway on a Federally approved study. Funding for the project came from the Colorado recreational Marijuana market after the relationship between Dr. Sisely and the University of Arizona was terminated. “Our goal is to collect the most objective data so that eventually it can be published in peer-reviewed medical journals,” Sisley was quoted in the Arizona Public Media. Her work will focus on military veterans.
Hopefully the mounting evidence will influence Congress to allow VA doctors to make the recommendation of using MMJ to combat PTSD. As a letter to Congress from a former VA physician pointed out, "Our men and women in uniform make incredible sacrifices for our country, and the least we could do is to make every possible treatment option available to them when they come home."
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