Imagine a kill rate of 22 American soldiers every day, day in and day out. If this were being done on foreign soil, we, as a country, would demand answers and justice. The Industrial War Complex would be shifted into hyper-drive. Sadly, this is being perpetrated within our own homes, on our own soil by the people that need saving. And, very little is being done to effectively end it.
This insidious enemy goes by a name we’ve all heard: suicide. America’s wounded warriors are killing themselves by the double dozen every day due to a number of issues and conditions brought on by their very service.
PTSD, chronic pain, sleep disorders, depression/anxiety, migraines (due to traumatic brain injuries), arthritis and MS, to name but a few.
While traditional treatment consisting of anti-depressants such as Zoloft and Paxil and anti-psychotics are the norm, they typically do more harm than good. They can be addictive; the side effects include increased suicidal tendencies, fractured sleep patterns, and result in patients becoming ?zombie-like?.
There is evidence of marijuana use for medicinal and/or ceremonial purposes that date back thousands of years. The plant was sold freely in pharmacies in Western countries starting in 1854. In 1942, cannabis was removed from all pharmacies and deemed illegal. According to Jack Herer’s book ?The Emperor Wears No Clothes?, in 1974 the DEA stopped all cannabis research and destroyed all results from the Medical School of Virginia research. This research was originally funded by the NIH to find evidence of immune system damage by cannabis. It showed, however, that THC slowed tumor growth in a variety of cancers in mice. Considering, the symptoms of cancer treatment that consist of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, weight loss, sleep disorders and mood disorders being consistent with PTSD, is it any wonder that cannabis relives all of these conditions?
Despite growing evidence, our government and military refuse this alternative treatment to our veterans and wounded.
There is change on the wind. A group in Spokane Washington is attempting to change how medicinal cannabis is viewed. The Veterans for Compassionate Care, www.veteransforcompassionatecare.org, have a 6 point mission statement specific to helping veterans heal. They also assist in opiate reduction through a medicinal cannabis program.
Our veterans- whether active duty, retired, discharged or reserve- are the people that, at some point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to ?The United States of America? for the amount ?up to and including my own life?.
They deserve the very best we, as a country, have to offer.? Certainly, the freedoms they fought to preserve should include any and all options.
Additional information and resources can be found at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) or www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/.
Edited/Published by: SB
