May is a notable month for many reasons, but we pay particular attention to the fact that May is Military Appreciation Month. First introduced by the late Senator McCain in 1999, May has been prominently revered by all servicemen & servicewomen, active or not, as a month to commemorate the efforts of all members of the US Department of Defense. The brave men and women who risk their lives to serve and defend our country are one of the reasons the United States remains a global leader today. We like to call out Military Appreciation Month and offer a veterans discount for cannabis because of a group of some of our most passionate patrons–veterans.

Veterans & Cannabis Use

Veterans are some of the toughest humans out there; forged by fire, diamonds under pressure, present at the darkest hours. For many veterans, there can be a fallout from serving in the US military. Regardless of a veteran’s ailment, whether it is PTSD, insomnia, or pain related to their service, veterans deserve to be well defended by the medical community. Of many remedies known to help heal veterans is cannabis, an incredible plant that we all know to have near-magical medicinal properties. Yet, cannabis is still classified as a hard drug by the Department of Justice and one that is taboo to discuss within the Veterans Affairs (VA) department. 

Veterans far and wide have turned to cannabis products as a way to prevent ailments from worsening or treating health issues as they appear. These veterans, however, are exploring cannabis as a treatment method usually on their own. Hearing referrals from other veterans or friends, reading online testimonials, and researching clinical studies as well as the recent general legalization of cannabis have all led more veterans to experiment with cannabis as a medicinal remedy.

Unfortunately, the VA has a very tight policy on cannabis as a treatment option for veterans. Over the last decade, legislation has been held up in Congress that would create new avenues and oversight for the VA to design programs around cannabis use for veterans. This legislation, just like novel cannabis legislation still seeking congressional support, may be bottlenecked by traditional politics, business stigmas, federal regulations, and even the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Don’t get us started on that…

One thing is for certain: enough evidence exists to support medical marijuana as an alternative treatment option for veterans and one such remedy that deserves more clinical attention.

Supporting Cannabis for Veterans

VA data from 2018 shows that, on average, there are 18 veteran-related suicides per day. This statistic is staggering and one that needs to be addressed and reduced by any means necessary. As mentioned, the inaction by Congress and the VA itself has hindered veteran recovery practices and created a gray area for medical marijuana use as a veteran. Thankfully, veterans will not be denied benefits for consuming cannabis if done so through a state program. While this is a step in the right direction, it still leaves hundreds of thousands of veterans without legal access to cannabis as a treatment option.

The most support demonstrated for cannabis on behalf of veterans is done by the cannabis industry, alternative medicinal practitioners, and other veteran advocacy groups. At Seed & Smith, we run an all-day, everyday veterans discount for cannabis of 15% as a nominal way to support the community. We also offer an additional discount on the 3rd and 4th day of each month, setting aside our best products at a 30% discount for all veterans. While only a small token of appreciation for the servicemen and women who have protected our country, Seed & Smith is looking to get more involved.

Aside from new, forward-thinking initiatives in development to support veterans, Seed & Smith values our partnership with Leaf411 and recommends them as a resource to all cannabis users. Leaf411 is a nonprofit dedicated to helping cannabis users by supplying a cannabis nurse hotline as well as a database of resources. Veterans who are uncertain about using cannabis as a treatment alternative or who want to educate themselves more about cannabis can find tremendous value in Leaf411.

Veterans have truly earned the right of support from all parties involved in securing a process to obtain cannabis as a treatment method for post-service ailments. As a veteran, patron, or industry member, we are open to any ideas for anything Seed & Smith can do to better support veterans in addition to the veterans discount for cannabis we offer. Please email all relevant ideas to info@seedandsmith.com.

God bless America, the land of the free because of the brave.

​​“The very populations who have the greatest need are often the ones who are the most understudied” – Staci Gruber, on the need for cannabis support among veteran groups