Winston Churchill once famously said that, “the truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” The incontrovertible truth is that veterans are realizing the powerful and therapeutic nature of cannabis from sea to shining sea. When the team at Purple Rose Supply asked me to write about my fellow veterans and their experience with cannabis, it struck close to home. After six years in the Marine Corps and a deployment to Iraq, the Corps’ final gift to me was arthritis in my lower spine. One isn’t supposed to have arthritis in their early 20’s, but my fellow veterans will testify to you the wear and tear military service puts on the body.
Fast forward to 2020 and I was in 9 out of 10 pain on a daily basis and I was desperate to try anything. This includes acupuncture, sound wave therapy, chiropractic services, physical therapy and more. That’s when a fellow veteran introduced me to CBD products and I found some relief. It wasn’t the permanent solution for me, but the idea that anything which could bring relief was off-limits for me was enough to change my mind on cannabis products. After 20 years of pain, I had earned the right to try it. That’s all I’m asking for here today. Veterans have earned the right to try cannabis and 2025 should be the year that equal access is granted.
From World Class Cannagars to Veteran Advocacy
The team at Purple Rose Supply didn’t originally set out to become advocates for a modern generation of warfighters. They’ve always served veterans who were in need of cannabis tools, but advocacy is a new path for them. However, once they realized that there are far too many United States military veterans who still do not have equal access to the relief of cannabis they gave this Marine a chance to speak his mind.
With all the changes going on in government right now, 2025 should be the year that the Veteran’s Administration is absolved of its obligation to follow the Controlled Substances Act and give every veteran access to life changing cannabis. I live in a state where cannabis is perfectly legal and as such, I had no restrictions on my ability to try cannabis products.
Meanwhile, a veteran in another part of the country who is entirely dependent on VA healthcare may not be as fortunate. His right to try is being denied by the very government for which he fought. That is just an unacceptable outcome. Every traditional tenant or thought of government at the federal level is being questioned. My solution is simple. Add the question of marijuana at the federal level to that long list of questions.
A “Zombie Dope” to Medical Marijuana Revolution for Veterans
The evidence that marijuana can be revolutionary for military veterans is beyond anecdotal at this point. It has been 24 years since the 9/11 attacks kicked off the Global Wars on Terror (GWOT) and the amount of physical and mental injuries that have come out of that war are well documented. What is equally documented is that the cocktail of medications prescribed by the VA for those injuries is not working. “Zombie Dope”, as it is affectionately called by veterans, may serve a purpose for some, but not at the expense of refusing to look for a better solution.
After being injured in Iraq, veteran advocate Boone Cutler reported that in 2010 he was taking 30 milligrams of morphine, 70 milligrams of oxycodone and other opioids every single day. In a 2017 interview, he reported that he quit zombie dope cold turkey and that’s when a colleague made a life changing introduction. Boone was introduced to marijuana as an alternative and in his words it was “an absolute, 100 percent, 180-degree life changing event for me.”
Cutler is a staunch advocate for his fellow veterans’ right to use cannabis as an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals. He is just one of the many lives that have been transformed by this natural alternative. While he is fortunate to reside in a state where this is legal, far too many veterans are stuck behind the iron curtain that is the VA separating them from this life changing option. 2025 has to be the year this changes for good.
Doing the Right Thing for Veterans in a Season of Political Turmoil
Change is happening at the Federal level at a rapid pace and whether you think that change is good or bad, we think that you’ll agree the change is palpable. Why shouldn’t 2025 be the year that veterans across this great nation gain universal access to the medical benefits of marijuana? With the stroke of a pen, that has been getting a great deal of action these days, the executive branch could suggest that the VA give veterans universal access. Sure, maybe it could be challenged in court as a violation of the Controlled Substance Act. Let them challenge it.
In 2018, the Right to Try Act was passed which gave terminally ill patients the ability to investigational medicines and unproved medical procedures. Everything you need to know about the act is right there in the name. A human, any human, gifted with the inalienable right to life has the right to try and save that life. If, in consultation with their VA doctor, a veteran wants to try cannabis, let them try it.
In some shape, fashion, and form, equal effort must be given to ensure that our military veterans have the right to try cannabis. There is simply too much evidence out there which demonstrates the potential benefits. Veterans living their lives half asleep from the “Zombie Dope” may have the ability to live a normal life again. I know it is not guaranteed and I can’t speak to every ailment afflicting my fellow veterans after 20 plus years of war. I’m just saying they have the right to give it a shot.
Joint Rolling Lessons Learned from Vietnam
As a student of military history, I often wonder if the Vietnam generation of veterans wouldn’t have had a radically different experience when they came home if cannabis was destigmatized. What we have learned about PTSD and trauma is substantially more than we knew 50 years ago. Equally, what we know now about the benefits of marijuana as opposed to traditional pharmaceuticals is substantially higher. Marijuana is not the boogeyman we were led to believe growing up in the 80’s and 90’s.
In 1971, Army Soldier Peter Lemon was awarded the Medal of Honor for single-handedly fighting off two waves of enemies during the Vietnam War—later revealing that he had been high on marijuana the entire time. Despite heroic actions on behalf of the nation, the U.S. continued the stigmatization of cannabis consumption and access. Heroes were treated as potheads if they partook in cannabis when, in reality, they were just attempting to treat their battle-born trauma. Meanwhile, the VA freely prescribed addictive and harmful narcotics without the same scrutiny.
Destigmatizing Marijuana Once and for All for the Veteran Community
A quick shoutout to the owners of this platform at Purple Rose Supply for lending their voice to this cause. They didn’t have to do that as their business is all things Cannagars and cannabis. I want to personally thank them for giving their platform to make this request on behalf of the veteran community. They do have a discount for the veteran community and, again, I thank them for their authenticity.
We live in an age where “calling your congressman” is easier than ever. You don’t even have to pick up the phone. Tweet, share, and leverage your social media influence on behalf of veterans who live in a location where they are denied the right to try. They’ll get the message if enough of us speak out. This is the year it changes because it has to change. Everything else is changing in government right now, why not the VA and why not us?
Whether it is for trauma, back pain, knee pain, arthritis or whatever ails our veteran community, we know the power and impact marijuana can have on their lives. The research is clear and it is hard to unsee the terrible effects and the fatal sentence of “Zombie Dope.” Cannabis didn’t cure all that ails me with the arthritis in my back, but I’m sure as hell glad I had the opportunity to try. That’s all I want for every veteran across this great nation of ours.
