Military veterans need more support. Veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other mental health disorders far more than civilians. In 2012, about 17 veterans were completing suicide daily, sounding an alarm for harm reduction for those who have served. Many are vocal about cannabis as a viable tool for veterans struggling with physical or mental illness. Often, the loudest are Vets themselves.
Todd Scattini is a retired Lieutenant Army Colonel turned advocate for veteran cannabis access. Not only did he have his own experience with the plant, but he had heard from multiple soldiers that the plant saved their lives.
When Scattini left the military, he was prescribed 11 pharmaceutical drugs. He also became a cannabis patient as soon as possible. Eventually, with the help of the plant, he was able to get off every single pill and reduce his alcohol consumption by 95 percent.
While getting off of pain meds and drinking less was valuable to Scattini, he was most impacted by what came after. He believed that cannabis treated his pain.
“This was pain that had been stopping me from getting in the gym or being active or even going through physical therapy,” Scattini said. “I was just kind of encapsulated by these opioids that were being used to treat my pain. But when I started using cannabis, I had a lot less inflammation, and I was able to go to the gym pain-free and get stronger. And so I think that really was a major contributor to my recovery.”
From there, the retired Colonel started to get actual sleep and develop healthy habits like regular yoga practice, medication, and mindfulness. Despite how the plant added value to his life, he still faces the stigma with his military friends and colleagues. Not only can they not believe he left a prestigious military career to work in weed, but he’s actually lost friends over his choice.
His career move was viewed as frivolous, even selfish, but Scattini sees how weed can turn a veteran’s life around. His experience highlights the brutal truth: weed stigma is alive and well. This might cause some to avoid seeking cannabis medicine.
Veterans and medical cannabis
If cannabis can provide the help that veterans need, safe access to clean weed seems logical–especially now that so many states have legalized it. Unfortunately, that is not the case, according to Marin Corps veteran Aaron Newsom, COO of the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance.
The Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance is one of the oldest groups of its kind. It started with a focus on providing quality cannabis to veterans for free, and it continues in that mission to this day. Newsom believes that access is the biggest cannabis-related issue facing our nation’s veterans.
“I discovered medical cannabis when I left the Marines and during my reintegration into civilian life. It has helped me to stay away from the harsh pharmaceuticals that are regularly prescribed for PTSD, anxiety, pain, and sleep,” Newsom shared with GreenState.
Despite a mountain of veteran testimony about how cannabis has helped them manage symptoms of PTSD, TBI, and depression (to name a few). Each of these mental health disorders has been shown to lead to suicidal thoughts. But still, some face stigma when seeking these options through resources like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.).
The V.A. provides benefits, healthcare, and cemetery services to military veterans. For years, veterans seeking medical cannabis have found roadblocks when speaking to their V.A. chapters and doctors.
“I have not personally had many challenges with the V.A. for using cannabis,” Newsom said. “However, I know many other veterans who have, especially when they are experiencing severe pain and placed on pain management agreements with the V.A., which requires them to use no other pain medicine other than what the V.A. prescribes.”
Scattini still recommends honesty for those privileged to do so.
“I encourage all veterans to be very open with their V.A. doctors about their cannabis use and demand that their doctors are seeking information and education and understanding of the medicine that they’re using,” Scattini said.
veterans Affairs is a federal department and therefore, views the plant through a federal lens. That means that V.A. doctors will look at weed as a Schedule I drug–for now.
Government moves for weed may benefit veterans
The DEA recently started the process of rescheduling cannabis to III, effectively making FDA-approved weed products for federal medical patients. This new acknowledgment that cannabis isn’t as addictive or harmful as Schedule I drugs may result in more positive interactions with V.A. doctors regarding medical cannabis.
As the DEA considers rescheduling, H.R. 3584, also known as the veteran CARE Act, would open more doors for research on cannabis for PTSD, chronic pain, and “other conditions the Secretary deems appropriate.” If passed, the Secretary of veteran Affairs would be tasked with spearheading the research initiative.
The bill shows a good faith effort from lawmakers on behalf of veterans, but more action is needed, especially if you ask Scattini. After learning about how much good cannabis could do for him and his fellow veterans, he saw it as his duty as a leader to learn more about the plant medicine.
“I was frustrated. And I said, ‘I’ve got to do something about this.’ I knew too much at the time. And I was like, ‘leaders need to understand that cannabis is safe, effective, and could save soldiers’ lives’,” Scattini said.
Now Scattini is a loud advocate for veteran access through Hemp 4 Victory, fighting to get weed legalized in his new home state of Kansas. It’s likely his work won’t stop until every veteran has the same opportunity to heal with cannabis that he did.
Veterans agree: cannabis might be a silver bullet
Each of the veterans who spoke with GreenState agreed that cannabis might be a godsend for chronic pain, which hinders many after carrying heavy equipment in such a dangerous line of work. There’s also potential for sleep, PTSD, and TBIs.
One reason Scattini was so infuriated when he learned about the power of pot is the lack of V.A. research. However, they continue prescribing opioids and other pharmaceuticals. He was on 11 prescriptions, and U.S. Navy Amphibious Operations and Aviation veteran Zach Phillips has a similar story.
“I was prescribed oxycontin, fentanyl, Dilaudid, Soma, Valium, and much more, and all at once. With cannabis, I managed to get completely away from all of it and have been for several years now,” Phillips said in a statement to GreenState.
Cannabis helped Phillips get off of the prescribed medications and turned him, as well as all of the veterans who contributed to this article today, into an advocate.
“I believe it’s a safer alternative for many veterans that would rather use cannabis than pharmaceuticals or alcohol. It gives you the ability to better cope with various ailments without as many negative side effects as many other options,” Phillips concluded.
As veterans return from service, they deserve support, compassion, and proper treatment. Story after story is told of veterans seeking help to find themselves prescribed many mind-altering pharmaceuticals. These methods have yet to quash mental health issues facing those who return home from active duty. Thanking veterans for their service is always kind, but it’s time to start fighting for them, too.
