📝 How You Can Help Veterans Access Medical Cannabis
Dear Friends and Fellow Citizens,
If you care about veterans’ health, fairness, and common sense in federal law, here’s what you need to know: U.S. cannabis policy has been broken for decades—and veterans are paying the price.
The history is complicated, but understanding it gives you power to act. A University of Mississippi honors thesis (“Rethinking Cannabis Legislation: Insights from Advocacy Groups,” 2018) lays it out clearly. Here’s the key information you can use to push your leaders to act.
🔍 What You Should Know
1. The Law Was Never Consistent
In the 1950s–60s, the Boggs Act and Narcotics Control Act imposed harsh mandatory sentences.
Prison populations rose, but drug use didn’t fall.
Scientific evidence showing cannabis was not addictive, psychotoxic, or criminogenic was repeatedly ignored (LaGuardia, Prettyman, Shafer Commissions).
2. Constitutional Contradictions
Leary v. U.S. (1969): Struck down the Marijuana Tax Act for violating the Fifth Amendment.
Randall v. U.S. (1976): A federal court recognized the medical necessity defense, making Robert Randall the first legal federal medical cannabis patient.
3. Federal Hypocrisy
Since 1968, the University of Mississippi has grown cannabis for DEA research—while patients and veterans remain criminalized for using it.
The government has long known cannabis has medical value but buried the evidence to maintain Schedule I classification.
4. Why Veterans Are Today’s Randall
Veterans are forced to choose between their health and the law.
DEA scheduling reviews, pending congressional bills, and ongoing court cases make this a critical moment to demand action.
🧭 What You Can Do
Your voice matters. You can contact your Senator or Representative and make sure they understand the stakes for veterans. Here’s how:
Share this blog with your friends, family, and fellow veterans.
Send a short email to your leaders using this template:
Subject: Support Veterans’ Access to Medical Cannabis
Dear [Senator/Representative Name],
Veterans across the country are denied access to medical cannabis, despite federal precedent recognizing its medical necessity (Randall v. U.S., 1976).
I urge you to support legislation that ensures veterans can access the medical care they need without fear of legal penalty.
Thank you for standing up for veterans’ health and fairness.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Follow up with your local VA office and advocacy organizations pushing for reform.
✅ Why This Matters
Veterans are on the front lines of healthcare denial.
Federal law has already acknowledged cannabis as medicine—but the government refuses to act.
Your outreach creates pressure where it matters most: in Congress and in agencies like the DEA and VA.
📎 Read the full thesis here: University of Mississippi Honors Thesis (Tramel, 2018)
📎 Full analysis and primer on our blog: Ye Ole Miss
Jon/Suzie Q. Citizen
Every veteran deserves access. Every citizen can help make it happen.
