While so many of our veterans are relying on medication to manage their PTSD and combat related injuries, some veteran families are turning to a more natural, yet often illegal remedy -- marijuana.
I'm on the fence about this one. On the one hand, drug abuse is a bad thing. Drugs should be regulated and prescribed by doctors so that they are used properly. On the other hand, all drugs -- even regulated ones -- are abused. Why are we supporting veterans and others using some drugs but not others, just because we have a cultural problem with accepting that something often used recreationally could have medical benefits?
Marijuana -- medical and otherwise -- is still illegal in many places. A few states have legalized it for both recreational and medical use. And still more have legalized it for medical purposes.
But not all. And, according to this story, some veteran families are relocating just to have access.
Currently serving troops, regardless of where they live and whether or not marijuana is legal there, may not use marijuana. If they do they are subject to UCMJ, just as they would be for using any other illegal substance. But those rules don't apply to military spouses or veterans.
Treating PTSD is a very challenging thing. And if you find a drug that works, you're probably going to want to keep using it -- even if it's marijuana. But would you turn your life upside down and relocate like the families in this story just so that you had legal access?
Take our poll and let us know.
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Photo courtesy of Flickr user Chuck Grimmett via the Creative Commons license.
