Veterans

Florida’s Marion County School Board has fired high school dean Mike Hickman, who is also a military veteran, over his use of medical cannabis to treat combat wound-related chronic pain.

Sean Worsley, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was facing a multi-year prison sentence for cannabis possession in Alabama, has been released on parole.

Judge Samuel Junkin in Pickens County, Alabama has denied a motion to release disabled Iraq war veteran Sean Worsely from jail for cannabis possession, despite a community supervision agreement for Worsely that included an employment offer and stable, local housing options.

An amendment to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act would give a path for service members to re-enlist in the military even if they have consumed cannabis during their time away.

Two bills aiming to improve veterans’ access to medical cannabis have passed through the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee this week.

A recent Veterans Affairs memo confirmed that employees of the agency can still be fired for cannabis use, even if they live in states where it has been legalized for personal use.

Companion legislation recently proposed in both of Florida’s legislative bodies proposes waiving medical cannabis card fees for veterans.

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology suggests that medical cannabis could significantly reduce PTSD symptoms such as severe depression and suicidal states.

Former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin has called on the federal government to eliminate the “hoops” making cannabis research so difficult.

Jason Ambrosino is founder of the Veterans Hemp Market, a New York-based organization dedicated to providing hemp flower products for “military veterans, patriots, and the everyday warrior.”

A recent study shows that nearly two-thirds of military veterans in California have replaced prescription medications with cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and insomnia.

A consultant for the Department of Veteran Affairs said that until the DEA and Department of Justice establish clear guidelines, the agency could not move forward with approval of cannabis for vets.

A proposal in Illinois would make the state’s medical cannabis program permanent and add 12 new conditions to the state’s qualifying conditions list.