Compassion for Veterans
Give it away, give it away, give it away now. ~ Red Hot Chili Peppers
Twenty-two (22) veterans commit suicide every day. Every single day. Today. Right now, there are veterans suffering that kind of pain, thinking of ending it once and for all. “Support our troops” doesn’t help very much when the war comes home.
Neither does a Veterans Administration willing to dole out narcotics while outlawing cannabis. At least now vets can talk about it with their VA doctors. Baby steps. In combat boots.
Cannabis and military life have been marching together longer than the buttoned-up armed services would care to admit.
~ Ryan Miller, Founder Operation EVAC (Educating Veterans About Cannabis)
Cannabis Helps Veterans Help Veterans
Once medical marijuana became legal, dispensaries created compassion programs for veterans and patients who couldn’t afford their meds.
Growers donated cannabis flower. Manufacturers donated cannabis-infused products like topical pain killers and sub-lingual elixirs, allowing them to treat symptoms on the spot and begin to manage their own healing.
Life-saving support groups sprang up around the donation process. Medicating was enhanced by the known benefits of camaraderie and community in a safe place.
Operation EVAC
One of those programs, Operation EVAC (Educating Veterans About Cannabis) was founded by Marine veteran, Ryan Miller. The EVAC mission is to support the growth and healing of veterans through mutual assistance, personal development, and community service. “The core idea – that cannabis can play a meaningful role in healing our warriors – is not new. Cannabis and military life have been marching together longer than the buttoned-up armed services would care to admit,” says Miller.
Miller sees Operation EVAC fitting in alongside other health services like acupuncture and yoga seminars. His vision includes establishing veteran communities all around the country.
Weed for Warriors
We are taking action to stop the 22+ veteran suicides that happen each and every day.
~ Sean Kiernan, Founder WFW (Weed for Warriors)
“The Sacramento-based Weed for Warriors Project, founded in 2014, took cannabis donations from growers and gave it to veterans. Sean Kiernan, ex-Army Airborne Infantry soldier and former Wall Street hedge fund manager, heads the group. Kiernan says many veterans — himself included — found relief in cannabis and were able to kick the prescription medications they took for service-related injuries, PTSD, depression and other disabilities.”
The Weed For Warriors Project is on a mission to support holistic rehabilitation and healing for veterans through fellowship, proactive care advocacy, cannabis education and compassion.
Working with local communities on community-based projects, the WFW Project is building an infrastructure for veterans to get help, and benefit from camaraderie and safe access to better, natural cannabis-based medicine. They also advocate to the VA on behalf of US veterans who seek relief through cannabis.
Indeed, the cannabis community was thriving when compassion was the watchword.
Then came “legalization,” and it all came crashing down.
"If we titled our laws accurately, you would call Prop 64 the illicit market stimulation act of 2016. Long on promises, longer on failures, longest on local corruption." Sean Kiernan
And now, with COVID, twenty-two (22) first responders are committing suicide every day.
USMC Veteran Ryan Miller of Operation EVAC at 420 Games, Los Angeles.
