Offering 10% Off to Veterans at all Missouri Health and Wellness Locations.
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Missouri’s Medical Marijuana program has generated $13,978,820 for Missouri Veterans to date (May 2022).
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Veterans will not be denied VA benefits because of marijuana use.
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Veterans are encouraged to discuss marijuana use with their VA providers.
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VA health care providers will record marijuana use in the Veteran’s VA medical record in order to have the information available in treatment planning. As with all clinical information, this is part of the confidential medical record and protected under patient privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.
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VA clinicians may not recommend medical marijuana.
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Because cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, veterans who use cannabis are not eligible for VA employment.
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How Cannabis May Help:
Many Veterans have sought relief from PTSD symptoms by way of medicinal cannabis. PTSD changes the structure and function of the amygdala. The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped portion of the brain associated with emotional memory and fear conditioning. Cannabinoids (chemical compounds found in cannabis) and Endocannabinoids (involved in the regulation of appetite, pain, mood, and memory) exert their effects through interactions with the Central Nervous System, and in terms of PTSD, encourage regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, function of the hippocampus & amygdala, and regulation of memory processes. In short, the endocannabinoid system is associated with the elimination of aversive memories resulting in:
Please note any new medical treatment should be discussed with a medical professional. Please seek professional medical advice for any change in treatment.
A team of investigators affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, John Hopkins University, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine compared PTSD symptoms in cannabis-using patients relative to non-users over a one-year period. Cannabis consuming participants primarily accessed THC-dominant flowers from state-authorized retailers. Researchers reported: “Participants who used primarily THC-dominant cannabis reported a greater reduction in PTSD symptom severity over time compared to controls. Cannabis users also showed a greater than two-fold rate of remission from their PTSD diagnosis (defined by no longer meeting criteria for a PTSD diagnosis on the CAPS-5) compared to controls by the 1-year follow-up assessment.” They concluded: “This study provides evidence that the types of cannabis available in recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries might hold promise as an alternative treatment for PTSD.”
Excerpt from Norml article (December 2020), “Study: Long-Term Cannabis Use Associated with Reduced Symptoms in Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress”
