Off The Grid: No Pot for You, Vets!

Hey veterans, do you smoke marijuana to help with your PTSD? Do you take prescription medications to combat your PTSD as well? Well if you're getting those meds through the Department of Veteran Affairs, you better chiggity-check yourself before the VA wriggity-wrecks your free med handouts.

Vice reported recently in an article regarding the topic of Post Traumatic Stress and the use of the currently federally illegal drug marijuana that if you turn up positive for THC, one of the main ingredients in the “drug”, in a state where it is not currently kosher to toke up, the VA has the power to revoke your ability to obtain prescriptions through their organization. Historically, the VA has reserved the right to deny patients pain medications if they violate the terms of their “Opioid Pain Care Agreement” by testing positive for marijuana.

In 2011 the VA began easing their restrictions on the use of cannabis to treat veteran conditions but this was only after pressure from veterans advocacy groups. Previous to that it was dark times for vets who wanted to use marijuana as treatment. A 2008 internal memo from the VA's general council surfaced that stated doctors could have their licenses revoked and face criminal charges if they decided to be the “pusha-man” in regards to passing off weed to vets.

Lets not completely let this post be a place to sound off against the VA though. They've come leaps and bounds in the last few years by accepting a progressive stance on holistic approaches to treatments in some areas they operate. Unfortunately marijuana is not quite one of them yet, but something is better than nothing in my book. So for now, veterans with PTSD who have a medical marijuana prescription can balance their pharmaceutical drugs with cannabis self-medication. But that still leaves those who live in medical marijuana states that don't include PTSD as an "approved condition" for cannabis treatment, along with vets in the 27 states that still prohibit cannabis completely.

I want to hear what you all think! Do you agree with the VA's decision to not prescribe marijuana to America's vets or are you fine with the thousands of people who will continue to be prescribed a host of pills and all the side effects that come with them? I'm gonna be honest, I kind of set you up there...

If you want to see what the Governor has to say about legalizing marijuana, check out the Off the Grid episode below!

Mitch A. - Off the Grid Staff

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