Free Cannabis Offered To Eligible Veterans In A Washington State City

Cannabis company Perfect Union in collaboration with the Weed for Warriors Project and vendors will be providing $5,000 worth of free cannabis products to eligible veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other “service-related health concerns" on Saturday, March 18 from 9 a.m. to noon. The event will take place at Perfect Union's Marysville location in Washington State, per Yahoo News.

Veterans must provide hard copy proof of service, state ID and current medical recommendation to receive free cannabis, said Angelica Sanchez, senior director of Government Affairs & Compliance with Perfect Union.

The Weed for Warriors Project was founded in 2014 to advocate for veterans to have the freedom to use medical marijuana as an alternative to harmful psychiatric drugs without discrimination. Their goal is to advocate on behalf of all veterans to the Veteran Affairs Administration.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acknowledges that some veterans use cannabis to alleviate PTSD symptoms and some states allow medical cannabis for PTSD, but research has shown it is not an effective treatment for PTSD.

Anecdotal evidence from individuals suggests it helps, but randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of whole-plant cannabis for treating PTSD. Furthermore, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) reported that the first FDA-regulated study on the benefits of smoking cannabis for PTSD patients has shown improvements.

In related news, a bipartisan bill was recently introduced to direct the VA to conduct “studies on the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans with certain conditions." Sponsored by Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) the measure will have the VA conducting studies that explore the effects of cannabis for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.

Photo: Courtesy sydney Rae On Unsplash