Veterans eligible for 'free cannabis products' at Perfect Union

Robert Summa, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·3 min read

Mar. 16—In partnership with the Weed for Warriors Project and vendors, Perfect Union in Marysville will be giving away $5,000 worth of "free cannabis products" on Saturday to veterans who are currently suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other "service-related health concerns."

Angelica Sanchez, senior director of Government Affairs & Compliance with Perfect Union, said a variety of cannabis products will be given away Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon to eligible veterans.

"Veterans are required to show hard copy proof of service, state ID, and current medical recommendation to receive free cannabis," Sanchez said. "This is the third event we've had with them (Weed for Warriors Project) but the first we've hosted at our Marysville location."

Founded in 2014, the Weed for Warriors Project "aims to allow veterans the freedom to use medical marijuana as a recognized medical alternative to harmful psychiatric drugs without any discrimination or unjust actions against the individual," according to its website. The group says its "sole purpose is to advocate to the Veteran Affairs Administration on behalf of all veterans."

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, officials do acknowledge that some veterans have been using cannabis to relieve symptoms of PTSD and "several states specifically approve the use of medical cannabis for PTSD," but some research has shown that cannabis is not an effective PTSD treatment.

"The belief that cannabis can be used to treat PTSD is primarily based on anecdotal evidence from individuals with PTSD who report that cannabis helps with their symptoms or improves their overall life and functioning," the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says. "Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which are a necessary 'gold standard' for determining safety and efficacy, are needed to test the use of whole plant cannabis to treat PTSD."

However, according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the results of the first FDA-regulated study on the benefits of smoking cannabis show that there are improvements among PTSD patients.

"Over the course of a year, the study found that cannabis users reported a greater decrease in the severity of their PTSD symptoms. They also were more than 2.5 times as likely to no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD as those who did not use cannabis," the VFW reported in 2021.

Mallory Lofl, a co-author of the study and volunteer assistant professor of psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, said "one of the biggest takeaways from this study is that veterans with PTSD can use cannabis at self-managed doses, at least in the short term, and not experience a plethora of side effects or a worsening of symptoms."

The VFW said in 2021 that it "continues to stand and support federally funded research of medicinal cannabis for veterans being treated by the VA for service-related chronic pain."

According to a review published in 2021 by the National Library of Medicine, "studies showed that cannabis was associated with a reduction in overall PTSD symptoms and improved" quality of life.

Perfect Union is located at 311 F St. in Marysville. For more information, visit perfect-union.com or call 530-763-4826.