by Anthony Johnson
Veterans Press Statement:
Veterans For Medical Cannabis Access [VMCA]
Monday, Memorial Day, 28 May 2012
Subject:
White House replies to Veterans petition: http://wh.gov/4xd
Thousands of Veterans requested the Obama Administration to look
into the reliable science now available showing exactly how
cannabis works to alleviate suffering of Veterans pain and
save the lives of Veterans with brain injuries such
as PTSD and therefore make appropriate changes in policy.
According to Dr. Julie Holland, Editor of The Pot Book and a
medical doctor, there have been more suicides than combat fatalities
by a ratio of 25:1. This, given how effectively cannabis works
to save lives, is an unacceptable loss.
Recent research has revealed two things of great importance – one is
that suicide rates drop around the implementation of medical marijuana
laws and the other is that new research indicates similar brain changes from
athletic head injuries, military head trauma and brain changes from
Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. New research available shows how a human
body-wide set of control functions called the Endogenous Cannabinoid Receptor System
may be activated by the ingestion of cannabis to cause both neural protection and
neural regenerative properties to help relieve these difficult to treat medical
conditions.
We Veterans petitioned the Obama Administration to: “Allow United States Disabled
Military Veterans access to medical marijuana to treat their PTSD.”
The White House response to our petition was very disappointing. We
asked for a change in policy. To have our petition answered by the drug czar,an ex
policeman, is most inappropriate given the drug czar is bound by law to ONLY discuss
current law and has no power to discuss policy change with the public. Even
the lowest ranking staffer at the White House or anyone from the Veterans
Health Authority would have been more appropriate.
Al Byrne, retired Naval Officer and co-founder of VMCA, was blunt in his assessment of
the White House concern for injured Veterans:
“Vets have used cannabis for PTS since the Revolutionary War. We know what we
need and to be told by our President, the Commander in Chief, that he does not care about
those he has sent to war by denying medicine to the wounded is unconscionable.Ã’””
The Department of Veterans Affairs is also now in direct conflict with the White House.
According to the Veterans Affairs, Undersecretary
of Health in correspondence with our Executive Director, Michael Krawitz:
“The provider (VA) will take the use of medical marijuana into account in all
prescribing decisions, just as the provider would for any other medication.Ã’” [1.]
Read complete press release here:
http://nationalcannabiscoalition.com/2012/05/press-release-veterans-for-medical-cannabis-access/