4 minute read
Veterans + Voting
It is interesting to me that Veteran’s Day and the US Presidential Election share the same month. Although the origins of both dates are not, to my knowledge, linked, I can’t help but think that it is totally appropriate. We wouldn’t have the privilege of even having an election day without the brave women and men in our armed forces who ensure that the USA remains the pillar of democracy, even with all of the issues. These women and men sacrifice a lot. And they sacrifice a lot for us--strangers who truly benefit from their service. We, the people of the USA, owe them a lot, including health care that adequately meets their needs. And the definition of health care should evolve with the science--despite past beliefs. But how can we help? Election day and voting gives us all equal opportunity to support our service women and men.
“ VOTING GIVES US ALL EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR SERVICE WOMEN + MEN “
I have come to know many veterans through the medical cannabis community. I am moved by their stories of sacrifice and pain. I am frustrated by the VA’s lack of acceptance of medical cannabis. In 2017, The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine published one of the most comprehensive, in-depth reviews of scientific research on the uses of cannabis and cannabis-derived products. The report provides a broad set of evidence-based conclusions. One conclusion is that cannabis is effective for the treatment of pain. Other studies demonstrate a reduction of opioids with better pain relief when treatment is combined with cannabis. Why, then, is medical cannabis not an option for our Veterans?
I want to share a story of a Veteran, a person I am proud to call my friend. He was a sergeant in the Army, First Armored Division who served our country from 2009-2015. He was a team leader in the infantry. In 2012, he and his team were deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan. One day, while on a routine surveillance patrol his team was ambushed, and his truck hit a roadside IED and blew up. The force of the explosion ejected him from the truck. His abrupt return to land was greeted by a chunk of the truck that crashed on top of him shattering his pelvis and injuring his spine. He remembers little after that: being taken by his team to Kandahar, a helicopter ride, and then waking up in Germany after surgery where they reconstructed his pelvis with metal. He returned to the US where he spent 2 years in Walter Reed Medical Center trying to walk. During that time, he transitioned from dilaudid to oxycontin. On Veteran’s Day 2015, he was discharged from Walter Reed, honorably discharged from the Army, and addicted to prescription opioids.
He desperately wanted to get off the prescription opioids as it negatively impacted his life as much as his shattered pelvis did. The addiction strained his relationships with his wife, family, and friends. After a social, physical, and emotional breakdown he went back to Walter Reed to withdraw-a battle so painful and so difficult that he never wanted to repeat it ever again. Yet, he left Walter Reed shaken from the detox program and worried about how to control his pain without the prescription drugs.
He remembered that he wrote a paper in high school on medical cannabis but didn’t really think about it for himself until a friend suggested he try it to quell his horrific pain. He did. The result was that he slept through the night for the first time since the explosion. His pain was controlled. Over time, he repaired his relationships with family and friends. And although he denies PTSD, he no longer experiences the anxiety that comes with chronic pain. He is able to not just live but enjoy his life.
He is outraged by the injustice that Veterans are denied the option to use medical cannabis just because they are Veterans. He bravely testified to the Maryland Senate, sharing his story on behalf of all Veterans, as he knows from his experience that they deserve access to medicine that is safe, effective, and not addictive like prescription opioids. He wants to protect his colleagues in the armed forces, so they don’t have to deal with the opioid struggle as he did or worse.
His message to all Vets is for them to know they are not alone. His message to the VA is that medical cannabis needs to be an option.
My message is that the research supports pain management efficacy for medical cannabis, and it is safer than opioids. My message to you, the reader of this article, is to vote in November for the candidate you believe will support the appropriate health care services for those who serve us.
Be well, Dr. Deb
