News Brief: Marijuana and Veterans

An estimated 20% of American veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. A common statistic that we hear is 22: that’s the daily average number of veteran suicides, most due to the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and the difficulty of transitioning back into civilian life. 

Dr. Sue Sisley is a VA physician who has dedicated her professional life to treating veterans with PTSD, and has secured the first federal grantto study marijuana as a potentially federally-approved treatment for the disorder. Currently, Zoloft and Paxil are the only two federally-approved drugs to treat the disorder, and due to the high number of veterans who’s PTSD is classified as “treatment resistant,” those aren’t entirely effective. The study will take three years and will monitor the effects of marijuana on veterans who haven’t responded positively to other treatments.

In June 2016a state judge ordered that PTSD be added to the state’s list of approved conditions to qualify for medical marijuana rights. In several other medical states, PTSD is already an approved condition. In New Mexico, it is the most common condition for medical patients–almost double the number of patients using cannabis to treat their chronic pain. However, here in Colorado, it is not on the approved list. While many veterans know from experience that cannabis provides them with therapeutic relief for mental and physical ailments, more research is still needed in order to convince everyone. 

At our dispensary in Pueblo Colorado, NuVue Pharma, we are dedicated to developing the most effective medicine for all who would benefit from it. We admire the veterans who have sacrificed everything to serve our country, and as a thank you, we offer 10% off of every purchase, every day to those who served.