CANNAHEALTH The Opioid Epidemic | Page 32

I’m a retired Veteran and when I began to get involved in cannabis law reform one of the first issues I began supporting was getting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on Georgia’s tightly limited list of conditions authorized for the use of cannabidiol.

In early 2016 I was asked to participate in a Pill Bottle Demonstration under Georgia’s Gold Dome. The invitation came from Joshua Littrell, the founder of Veterans For Cannabis. There were similar demonstrations occurring across the United States, all aimed at highlighting the fact that 22 Veterans committed suicide each day. Pharmaceuticals don’t always help the problem. Cannabis can and does, and PTSD is a major condition that needed to be added to Georgia’s medical oil legislation.

I’ve had my experiences with the Veterans Administration (VA) and the medications they feed you. I was on 7 separate medications at once that carried the “May Cause Dizziness or Drowsiness” warning on the labels. I know the debilitating effect they can have on you. Fortunately, I was reintroduced to cannabis. I’m no longer on those medications and my quality of life is much improved. So, I jumped all over the opportunity to participate.

Joshua Littrell made all the necessary arrangements with Capitol security. We were allowed to bring a casket filled with empty VA prescription bottles, donated by Georgia Veterans, into the Capitol. The coffin was draped by Old Glory, and we set it up in The Rotunda.

Photo credit: Kelly Hammock

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20 Veterans A Day

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