Nationwide, cannabis rescheduling is hampering important research, harming veterans, and millions more

By David E. Carpenter

The federal government’s current position on cannabis and its stranglehold as a harmful List 1 drug, making it unsuitable for rigorous medical evaluation, hinders vital research on the plant and harms millions of Americans, including veterans.

Federal cannabis research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has been pathetically sparse for decades, although reputable sources show cannabis has been linked to reductions in PTSD symptoms. Scientists agree that more research with larger samples is needed to examine a wider range of patient-relevant results.

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But since 1968, US researchers have only been allowed to use cannabis from one domestic source: a facility at the University of Mississippi. As a result, only a small selection of cannabis products has been researched.

Add to this the fact that public health officials like NIDA director Nora Volkow agree that the federal government’s current stance on cannabis as a List 1 drug precludes it from in-depth research.

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“One of the barriers that has actually been identified is that because cannabis is a List I substance, it requires certain procedures that can actually be very tedious,” Volkow said. “In some cases, it distracts researchers who want to study it because it’s just a lot more cumbersome than studies with other substances.”

Veteran crisis continues

The situation has now reached a boiling point as at least 20 military veterinarians commit suicide every day due to PTSD and depression.

Recently, some bipartisan voices viewing cannabis as a critical medical treatment have been making noise and begging for veterans access to cannabis.

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In a recent letter to the Secretary for Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, non-partisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chair Representative of Count Blumenauer (D-OR), David Joyce (RAW), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Don Young (R-AK), stated: “Research has shown that cannabis can be safe and effective for targeted pain management. In addition, cannabis has proven benefits in treating PTSD and other health problems, including multiple sclerosis and seizure disorders. Despite its effectiveness, antiquated bureaucratic paperwork denies veterans these life-changing treatments. ”

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Federal agencies are facing increasing pressure not only from lawmakers and public health authorities, but also from powerful union and financial groups, including such as American Bankers Association, United Food and Commercial Workers Union and National Association of Credit Unions, of which the latter alone has over 120 million members. Leaders of these groups came together and wrote a letter urging marijuana banking reform to be implemented National Defense Permit Act (NDAA), probably this month or next.

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The letter said: “Banking is important to the NDAA because it strengthens national security by keeping bad actors out of the cannabis industry and the financial system, while also supporting the thousands of veterans who come to the cannabis industry for medical treatment, employment or entrepreneurial activity. “Opportunities.”

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