Written by The Soldier That's Making a Stance: The Creation of Veterans Alliance for Compassionate Access:
Recently the pleasure of collaborating with Joshua Lee, an outspoken Combat Veteran who was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, has been more than overwhelming. He’s spoken out quite a bit over the past year or so and has voraciously attacked the surreal amount of pharmaceuticals Veterans are given vs, the allowance for use/cost coverage of Cannabis which works. He was personally given piles of pills you can see in the photo below for various different health issues that stemmed from being in combat – from pain to the psychological outcomes of war. When asked how he knew he became a statistic to the growing Opioid crisis his answer was very intense, “I didn’t think the stuff I was on was going to screw me up that badly until I made a mistake of rescheduling when they were supposed to be mailed to me, and I wound up experiencing withdrawals for the first time in my life. And I realized I’m an addict. I would have done anything to get those pills.”
Joshua has taken his drive and motivation regarding Cannabis as an exit drug to a never-ending life of pharmaceuticals quite a bit further than most. Together with his wife and other outspoken Veterans, a nonprofit has been developed due to this stop advocacy, one that getting familiar with has been a pleasure. It’s awesome when we see people follow through after the use of Cannabinoid Medicine and make the changes they wish to see in this world, which he’s actively doing by the day.
Joshua tells his story so well, so let's read it!
“War. War never changes. Since the dawn of time, war has caused death, destruction, and hardships for those who are lucky enough to survive it. Unfortunately, war never changes, but fortunately, people do. One need not look further than the recent headlines about former Speaker John Boehner’s statement that his “thinking on cannabis has evolved” to see how important such change can be, especially for our nation’s veterans.
As a retired Sergeant in the Missouri National Guard, I am here to tell you a story of change.
In March of 2017, my wife and I celebrated our 15 year anniversary in Colorado, five years after I returned from Afghanistan a broken shell of a man. In those five years, we hadn’t been out on a date that hadn’t ended in disaster. I had been an emotionally abusive monster both to her and our two beautiful sons, I had crushed the spirits and dreams of those whom I should cherish and support the most. I was a rage-filled zombie, prescribed twenty-seven pills a day by the VA to control the symptoms of PTSD, fibromyalgia, and arthritis, barely able to function in the outside world, fully aware of the misery and despair I brought to everyone I loved.”
“I was lost…
I had no hope…
I was 33 years old, staring down the barrel of a pill bottle and contemplating ways to permanently stop hurting those around me when my wife suggested we try combining Colorado and cannabis. At first, I, like many others was skeptical. I grew up during a time when cannabis was associated with the hippies of the ’60s and ’70s. When it was associated with being lazy, shiftless, and unmotivated. These associations were a far cry from what I aspired to be as a soldier, a veteran, husband, and father. But, I was already an over-medicated version of those things and in a moment of desperation, I decided it was time to change.”
“Using medical cannabis saved my marriage, my relationship with our two sons, and my life. Canadian studies on veterans show a 63% reduction in anger and irritability, a 77% reduction in suicidal idealization, and a composite 59% reduction in symptoms associated with PTSD. As an American veteran, I can testify as to the truth of these numbers personally. As a result, my wife and I founded Veteran’s Alliance for Compassionate Access, a Missouri 501(c)4 dedicated to social and political reform by empowering veterans to find their voice.” https://veteransforaccess.org/ “
“Veterans and their voices have the power to affect real change in our political atmosphere, and nowhere do we see that more clearly this week than in the sudden announcement by former Speaker of the House John Boehner that he was joining the board of advisers for Acreage Holdings, a company that grows and sells cannabis legally in eleven states. From one of the most hawkish anti-cannabis crusaders on Capitol Hill to join an advisory board for a cannabis corporation, Speaker Boehner has completed his transformation at a pivotal time for the cannabis industry and our nation as a whole.”
“Today, veterans support cannabis legalization at rates over 85% nationally; when faced with a lifetime of pills, pain, and PTSD as an alternative, is it any wonder we fight so passionately for change? Speaker Boehner credits veterans as being part of the reason he changed his stance on cannabis after seeing its medical efficacy first hand. Speaker Boehner should be applauded for this statement because it takes true courage to admit you’ve been championing the wrong stance for literal decades.”
“Although Boehner’s change of heart is important, it would be more so if he could persuade his colleagues who are still on Capitol Hill to do the same. Currently, the VA continues to misstate federal law by telling veterans that it cannot prescribe medical cannabis. On the contrary, in 2003, the Supreme Court held that it was within a physician’s First Amendment right to recommend obtaining medical cannabis as a treatment option in states where it is legal, as long as the doctor did not provide it directly. Thus, the only thing standing in VA’s way is its own internal policies. Like the VA, Congress has struggled with the appropriate role of medical cannabis due to the outdated stereotypes referenced above. Although both the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.), respectively, along with several colleagues submitted a letter and made statements to the VA earlier this year requesting that it study medical cannabis, to date, no action is pending before the Committee to advance legislation forcing the VA’s hand on the issue.”
“At Veterans Alliance for Compassionate Access, we encourage lawmakers and elected officials at all levels of government to join Speaker Boehner in calling for cannabis reform; states with strong, easy-to-access medical cannabis programs see significant savings in Medicare and Medicare Part D prescriptions, alcohol binge drinking decreases by 13%, opiate overdoses decrease 25%, and veteran suicides are even reduced.
War never changes, but we can.”
What a powerful quick version of Joshua Lee’s story and that of how and why of the Veteran’s Alliance for Compassionate Access. It was beyond exciting to speak with him about his journey today and plans to speak publicly. With such power and resignation, it will be an honor to join Joshua on the speaking trail and educate the masses about the vast benefits of Cannabis.
Mike Robinson, Medicinal Cannabis Patient and Director of Communications, The American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine
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