Wednesday, May 26, 2010
DEA Threatens Veterans’ Docs For Recommending Medical Cannabis
Law Enforcement & Crime / Health & Medicine David Downs — Wed, May 26, 2010 at 11:24 AM
Cannabis is a legitimate medicine in more than a dozen states, but that legitimacy has created endless conflicts with a “straight” medical community. The latest flare-up is over American military veterans, some of whom could be helped by the herb, but not via the Department of Veterans Affairs, evidently. Monday, former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey and Drug Policy Alliance director Jason Flom blasted the VA for their policy of prohibiting VA physicians from recommending medical cannabis to their patients.
“The VA claims the ban is primarily a response to threats from the Drug Enforcement Administration to prosecute VA doctors for recommending medical marijuana,” Vietnam vet Kerrey and Flom wrote on Huffington Post.
Talk show host Montel Williams, a medical cannabis patient and Marine and Navy vet, jumped in:
"I find it egregiously offensive that we can send our children off to die for our freedom, and then so callously turn our backs on their freedom when they return home. Research has proven the efficacy of medicinal marijuana in the treatment of PTSD. How dare we turn our backs on those who did not hesitate to put themselves in harms way to support and defend our Constitution?"
NPR also recently profiled New Mexico vet Paul Culkin and his family. Culkin turned to cannabis for his PTSD after existing medication “made him a zombie.” His wife told NPR:
"He's a different person. He's a better person. He's more open. He's more communicative. At one point, we almost got a divorce, and I can honestly say that I think medical cannabis saved our marriage and our family."
Of course, sick, dying, and injured vets can still spring for a medical cannabis recommendation out of their own pockets, unless they live in the 36 states where they will be, ahem, locked up with the 800,000 people arrested each year for pot.
Let freedom ring, ya’ll.
Comments (3)
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The stigma attached to marijuana causes people to hide their use. If you are going to smoke a glass pipe or bong, do it openly. Let the public know that you are among the responsible adults that have chosen to roll your own cigarette and to smoke your own glass bowl. This is historic opportunity to change the medical marijuana laws. Send a letter; send an email make a phone call. Make your voice heard with the millions calling for change. Bravo Montel, Bravo
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I am in that same boat. Navy Veteran I suffer chronic pain, nausea, insomnia, suppressed appetite, depression and many other symptoms of Liver disease. I am not on the transplant list my VA Doctors tell me that I will not be given a transplant because I use Medical Marijuana when I ask him why this is what he said: (1) it's illegal I pointed out to him that not in our state of Ca. (2) You cant because it will give you fungus of the lungs, Hell I don't know! These were exactly his own words. When I ask him for research material his answer to that was you just cant use marijuana, I emailed the VA in Washington their answer was that the reason that they do not allow Medical Marijuana, and the only reason they gave was The Federal Government does not recognize marijuana as a medicine. My doctors say that they got their own medicine that mite take care of your symptoms and which you will just have to deal with the side effects, that easily in my case could cause my death.I wonder how many MORE People have to Die Fighting for a Medicine that Helps make some of us who are dieing at least have the opportunity to live out their our in a Dignified and conscious manner. Instead of becoming a dieing Zombie and not even being able to comprehend the whole process of dieing You know if they had some research they could show me, or if it did start to cause me to get sick it would be a different story, but they blatantly lie to you like they lie about the medicine they give you. I have experienced their meds which some I still haven't recovered from and never will. And Med.Marij. it helps me with all those things I said above, no side effects. I have been using marijuana for 40 year's I am a living research lab. You think they would ask the people that know a little about the subject instead listening to a of a bunch of politicians who cant get their heads out of each others asses long enough to breath! But dont get me wrong I take the medicians that it takes for me to serive that marijuana cant help me with. Bottom Line it HELP'S ME and makes me fill BETTER!
stop the insanity and stupidity that's being doled out by the government and dea .
free up the medicine NOW .
respect veterans' need for this natural medicine and PTSD treatment , NOW .
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