Minnesota Army veteran: Cannabis need to be rescheduled
https://discuss.online/post/20911730
discuss.onlineMinnesota Army veteran: Cannabis need to be rescheduled - Discuss Online> As a U.S. Army veteran who served five combat deployments, I’ve seen firsthand
the physical and psychological scars that many of my fellow service members
carry with them after returning home. > > I’ve walked alongside soldiers
battling PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety and the long-term effects of traumatic
brain injuries. These are not just war wounds — they are life-altering burdens
that often go unseen and untreated. > > In the years since I returned home, I’ve
come to see that the path to healing doesn’t always come easily. And for many
veterans, traditional treatments aren’t effective, leading us to turn to
alternative treatments like cannabis. > > I say this not as an outsider or a
casual observer, but as a patient, an advocate and a former member of the
Minnesota Cannabis Advisory Council. I’ve had countless conversations with
fellow veterans and civilians alike who have found relief through cannabis when
traditional medicine failed them. I’ve seen its power, not as a miracle drug,
but as a legitimate and effective treatment for various conditions. > > That’s
why I strongly support the push to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III
under the Controlled Substances Act. The work that started during the Biden
administration on this issue appears to have stalled out, and it needs a
jumpstart. > > Rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III would be more than a
symbolic gesture. It would represent a tangible, meaningful shift in how we
treat cannabis and those who rely on it. It would open the door to comprehensive
clinical research that has long been stifled under federal restrictions.
Researchers and medical professionals would finally be able to conduct studies
with the rigor and scope this issue demands, helping us better understand the
full spectrum of cannabis’s therapeutic potential. > > And let’s be clear:
Support for this change is not partisan. In fact, President Donald Trump has
expressed support for rescheduling cannabis, recognizing the benefits of
modernizing our drug laws. When leaders from across the political spectrum —
conservatives, libertarians, progressives and independents — are aligned on an
issue, it tells us something: This isn’t a radical idea. It’s a reasonable one.
> > Despite this growing body of evidence, our federal government still
classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug, putting it on par with heroin and
declaring it to have “no accepted medical use” and a “high potential for abuse.”
> > Veterans, perhaps more than any other group, understand the consequences of
bureaucratic inertia. We’ve watched the Veterans Affairs system struggle to keep
up with the growing mental health crisis in our community. We’ve watched our
brothers- and sisters-in-arms cycle through prescriptions, such as opioids,
antidepressants and sleeping pills, many of which come with debilitating side
effects and limited long-term effectiveness. > > Cannabis has been a lifeline
for many of us. And the irony is, in states where medical cannabis is legal,
veterans often still face stigma from health care providers and risks to their
federal benefits if they choose to use it. Why? Because cannabis remains
stigmatized by outdated federal laws that ignore decades of research and
real-world experience. > > Reclassifying cannabis would legitimize it in the
eyes of our health care system. It would allow providers, especially those
within the VA, to have honest conversations with patients about medical cannabis
as an option. It would remove the concern that many veterans face when they
bring up cannabis with their doctors, fearing judgment or repercussions. > > We
can’t talk about supporting veterans and then ignore a reform such as this one
that could improve our lives. We can’t claim to respect our service members
while denying us access to a medicine that helps us live with dignity and
purpose. We served our country with honor. We did our duty. Now we are simply
asking our government to do theirs.
