I’m a proud Air Force veteran, and cannabis has changed my life for the better

According to a 2019 Veterans Health and Medical Cannabis Study, 94% of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have turned to cannabis to relieve psychological symptoms such as anxiety, stress, and sadness. 96% of veterans also said they experienced a much higher quality of life due to their cannabis use.

I served in the US Air Force between 2006 and 2012. There is nothing I would change about my ministry in my country. It was full of experiences, some amazing, some challenging, and some that continue to shape me and thousands of other veterans years after my service.

During my time with my AFSC security guards, I worked with the QRF team on deployments. I experienced real-time acts of war while stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. I risked losing my life while stationed in the Middle East, mainly from indirect fires such as missiles firing at my base. It was extremely traumatic and left me with a lasting mental impact that I didn’t fully understand at the time.

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Today I work as a Sales Account Executive Curaleaf, a leading cannabis company operating in 23 states. My career in cannabis has been unexpected and exciting, and it has been a highlight for me to be able to speak to veterans like me across the country who continue to seek ways to heal from their experiences.

Life after the military was plagued by struggles to find my place in society and in the world. I was an uneducated civilian suffering from symptoms of depression and PTSD.

I turned to the local VA Hospital for help, where I was later classified as a disabled veteran. The doctor prescribed Xanax and Zoloft to relieve my symptoms.

Although medication can temporarily help manage symptoms, the pain itself does not go away. In addition to feeling like a zombie and having thoughts of suicide, my nightmares and fear were compounded.

To give you a sense of how the war trauma is returning to me at home in the US, I remember reacting once to a pack of Capri Sun juice lying on the floor. It reminded me of my years in the Air Force searching streets for exploding bombs hidden in trash cans.

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I was living in Maryland when my father encouraged me to enroll in the medical cannabis patient program. In fact, we signed up for the program together. My experience with cannabis at a young age made me believe that it would be more helpful than the antidepressants I was taking.

Photo by Photo by Elsa Olofsson via Unsplash

When I started using cannabis, I slept through the night without experiencing nightmares or anxiety. Smoking cannabis flowers eliminated all of my PTSD symptoms and anger problems, irritability, and insomnia. Overall, medical cannabis has made an incredible difference in my life, including the phenomenal effects it has on my mental health. I combine my use of it with fitness, which has always been my haven for healing. I know everyone has a unique experience with cannabis – but that’s my story.

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I wish VA hospitals would accept cannabis as a viable treatment option for veterans and overcome stigmatized beliefs about the plant. Many patients in the markets that Curaleaf operates in are veterans like myself, frustrated with current treatment options and wanting to make sure that cannabis is recognized and respected. Not enough is being done to ensure that veterans have access to medical cannabis, just like we have access to opioids.

I remember my VA doctor being shocked when I told them I was using medical cannabis. However, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a veteran, have a stable career, or have kids, you can still be a responsible patient or a member of society who uses cannabis. I am living proof of this every day.

United States Air Force veteran Ian Gibbs, MS, is the Account Executive at Curaleaf, a leading international provider of cannabis consumer products on a mission to improve lives by creating cannabis clarity and confidence in its use. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in general health and wellness from Ashford University, San Diego, California, and an MSc in exercise and health sciences from American Military University (Charles Town, West Virginia). You should speak to your doctor before using cannabis.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.