cannabisnews.com: Lawmaker Says Marijuana Should Be Allowed for PTSD
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Lawmaker Says Marijuana Should Be Allowed for PTSD
Posted by CN Staff on March 21, 2010 at 17:23:43 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Denver -- A state lawmaker wants veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder to be able to use medical marijuana. Sen. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, will try to amend proposed medical marijuana regulations (House Bill 1284) to allow the practice during a committee meeting Monday. The amendment would require people to get a recommendation from a psychiatrist before they would qualify for medical marijuana.
"Frankly, I think it's one small step to help our veterans," Pace said. The Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project is backing Pace's amendment as is Sensible Colorado, a patient advocacy group. Sensible Colorado's executive director, Brian Vicente, said his group gets calls from dozens of veterans each year asking if they can qualify for medical marijuana. The House Judiciary Committee is set to vote Monday on changes to proposed regulations for people who grow and sell medical marijuana, two weeks after the first public hearing on the rules. Under the current proposal, dispensaries would be licensed and would have to grow most of their own marijuana. Communities would also be able to vote to ban dispensaries within their boundaries. Dispensaries largely favor some kind of regulation to ensure they're recognized as legal businesses but smaller shops fear only larger operations will be able to meet the standards. Some patients say their needs have been ignored in the rush to regulate the booming industry. Prosecutors, meanwhile, argue that lawmakers don't have the power to regulate dispensaries, which weren't mentioned in the medical marijuana law passed by voters in 2000. Another amendment to be considered Monday is whether to allow home-based caregivers to serve up to 16 patients in communities which vote to ban retail dispensaries.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Published: March 21, 2010Copyright: 2010 The Associated PressCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Storm Crow on March 22, 2010 at 12:37:41 PT
For more information on PTSD and cannabis...
Run a search on "Dr. Phil Leveque PTSD". Dr. Leveque suffers from PTSD from WWII, so he understands better than most doctors can! And I agree about cannabis making thoughts "slippery". I have referred to cannabis as a "mind lubricant". Your thoughts slip around in new ways, making you able to make connections that were impossible in an "ordinary" state of mind. I do most of my best writing when I've had a little "inspiration"!
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Comment #5 posted by ezrydn on March 22, 2010 at 07:18:54 PT:
A Vet, PTSD, and Cannabis
I was in Nam as an 11Bravo RTO from 1965 til the end of '66, with the 1st Air Cav Div. After I got out of the military, I realized I had a "problem" that I didn't understand. So, I lived with it for a long time, not even knowing it's name. Then, I learned.I tried all the VA meetings and pills, all to no avail. Then, a fellow vet suggested I try what he used. I said no at first but finally thought, "Can it be worse than Nam?" So, I tried my first cannabis.People with PTSD have thoughts that seem "sticky." Once they get inside your head, it's almost impossible to get rid of them. And they compound upon each other. What this does is, as I call it, brings forth my "Protector." It can get really ugly. However, cannabis has the characteristic of making those same thoughts "slippery." They're in and out, before you have time to get upset.Whenever I go through the VA medical system, they always ask if I'm using any medications. My response is "Yes, but I can't talk to you about it because this isn't a Compassionate State nor is the VA a Compassionate Agency." Nothing else is said.I've had VA doctors tell me, outside the building, that if they could, they'd prescribe Cannabis but they're hands are tied.Usage? I don't smoke it. I use a vaporizer. I take one hit, probably 4 times a day. I don't get high! And I no longer go ballistic!One of the factors in the favor of the reform movement is returning vets, from any conflict! With all the PTSD that's coming home, something's got to happen and vets understand what works and what doesn't, quickly.The military taught each of us to "be the best we could be," "an Army of One." We learned well and I have found that military tactics work well within the reform movement. Instead of bullets, we use words and facts. We maneuver, we set ambushes, it all works as we were taught, just on a different type of battlefield.Veterans deserve a good, quality life after what they've been through. Is it so much to ask to have a day without anger? Plus, we must remember that without the government involvement, we would never be suffering from this disorder.However, the VA will never change until the Fed changes. That's a given, due to the fact that VA is FED.So, all of my time and effort is expended toward state change. My AO is constantly shifting.So much for the marker rounds. "FIRE FOR EFFECT!"
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Comment #4 posted by runruff on March 22, 2010 at 00:17:43 PT
Speaking of Johnny pee!
Did you know that urine testing violates our 5TH amendment rights?We cannot be compelled to testify against ourselves and that is what we are doing when we submit to any kind of body test that reveals your personal intake.They have been getting away with this!PS: it also violates our 4Th amendment rights but that is another subject!
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Comment #3 posted by John Tyler on March 21, 2010 at 21:37:46 PT
PTSD therapy
There was an article in my local paper about a year or so ago about PTSD treatment. Treatment usually consisted of talk therapy, tranquilizers, and anti-depressants. The doctors admitted that this was not effective, but that is all the military allowed them to use. Some PTSD sufferers drank heavily, but that has its own set of problems. The Vietnam era soldiers found cannabis to be very effective in helping them heal, but they were derided for caving into the counterculture. In the last several years Israel has tired cannabis on its own soldiers suffering from PTSD and has found it to be effective. Injury and or the stress and anxiety of combat or both sets loose hormones racing through the body. Lots of these hormones in your body affect your thinking and behavior. You are put out of balance and can’t easily get back in balance again. This is where cannabis is effective. It puts these out of balance brain chemicals back in balance again and makes it easier to live and cope with life. Cannabis is good for the body, the mind, and the spirit. This is so simple. Why can’t some people that are supposed to be so smart and learned be so blinded by their own ego and pride? How about this… group cannabis sessions with a counselor, walks through a beautiful park or garden, reading poetry, or literature that speaks to their state of mind, some type of ritualistic cleansing ceremony to wash away the past and help them move forward.
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on March 21, 2010 at 21:00:07 PT
Sen. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo
An honorable act of governance. Thank you.I'm impressed with more and more of our legislators lately.More and more are standing up with some gumption and backbone... and they're trying to correct gross injustice. That's such a good thing to see.
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on March 21, 2010 at 19:27:51 PT
This story is in the Summit Daily News.
Webpage: http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100321/NEWS/100329962/1078&ParentProfile=1055Pubdate: 21 Mar 2010Source: Summit Daily News (CO)If military people can have access to medical use of cannabis for PTSD then it will even more likely go national / federal.
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