A recent report suggests that medical marijuana could benefit disabled veterans in Texas, but current state law prohibits its use. Now, the Veterans Administration (VA) risks putting vets in the line of fire by prioritizing the war on drugs over the documented relief offered by cannabis.

Veterans with PTSD
There are more than 1.7 million veterans in Texas, including 605,000 who served in the Vietnam War and 100,000 who carried out their duties in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Texas Veterans Commission.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that PTSD afflicts:
•    Almost 31 percent of Vietnam veterans
•    As many as 10 percent of Gulf War (Desert Storm) veterans
•    11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan
•    20 percent of Iraqi war veterans

These veterans “who sacrificed so much for our country” deserve the benefit of relief offered by medical marijuana for such common debilitating illnesses as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the Texas Coalition for Compassionate Care (TCCC), a group that advocates legalizing medicinal marijuana for the sick and dying.

“With the efficacy of medical marijuana for PTSD and the many personal stories we have heard, we at TCCC believe this needs to be an option for (people with PTSD),” states TCCC representative Steve Haag. Haag says that 40 percent of medical marijuana patients nationwide use the plant to relieve symptoms of PTSD.

Science Supports Medical Marijuana
“We have an endocannabinoid-based nervous system, endocrine system, muscular-skeletal system,” says Haag, stating the list goes on. “This is no mistake; nature made us this way, and there are 60 different cannabinoids in marijuana. That’s why cannabis works.”

The 2006 publication of The Endocrine Society’s Endocrine Reviews acknowledges that “the endocannabinoid system has emerged as a highly relevant topic in the scientific community…The ability of the endocannabinoid system to control appetite, food intake, and energy balance has recently received great attention, particularly in the light of the different modes of action underlying these functions…The relevance of the system is further strengthened by the notion that drugs interfering with the activity of the endocannabinoid system are considered as promising candidates for the treatment of various diseases, including obesity.” 

In fact, while not one major medical association in the U.S. has taken a position against the medical use of marijuana, many have supported its use, including the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Medical Marijuana Strains
However, there are some medical marijuana strains that work better for some patients, says Haag. For instance, sativa strains have a higher concentration in THC, which increases heart rates and anxiety levels.

Indica, on the other hand, has higher concentrations of cannabidiol, which has been shown to relieve anxiety. Clearly, a person with PTSD would want to use a strain of marijuana high in cannabidiol to help alleviate their symptoms.

VA Stance Unyielding
Unfortunately, the VA’s official statement on the rejection of veteran’s requests for relief from PTSD with the use of medical marijuana is clear:

“Based on guidance issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Justice, VA General Counsel has advised that completion of a state medical marijuana form is in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and subject to its enforcement provisions. Therefore VA physicians and practitioners may not participate in state medical marijuana programs. VA has addressed issues/questions regarding medical marijuana separately as they have arisen but is in the process of developing national policy."

Once again, federal law trumps state law, indicating that rule “by the people” is mere lip service.

Vets with PTSD in NM Helped
However, in bordering state New Mexico’s Senate Bill 523, “The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act,” which became state law in July 2007, PTSD is listed as a condition alleviated by the use of medical marijuana. New Mexico physicians continue to assist veterans with PTSD in obtaining medical marijuana, but the disabled veterans have to pay for the service out of their own pockets.

Back in Texas, disabled veterans who seek to gain relief from PTSD symptoms face jail time and steep fines for their possession of the medicine.

“It may be ten years before Texas decriminalizes marijuana for personal use,” says Haag. “Let’s start by taking the patients off the battlefield.”

Photo courtesy Artaxerxes, shows Vietnam veteran volunteer at Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica.