Letter: Reclassify cannabis, help Fort Bragg vets with PTSD
Cannabis

Letter: Reclassify cannabis, help Fort Bragg vets with PTSD

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As a retired Fort Bragg paratrooper, I have served with many veterans who are stressed with PTSD and had to endure pain from combat wounds and chronic pain not relieved by traditional treatments.

Don Talbot
 |  Fayetteville Observer

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What feds’ marijuana rescheduling means for NJ legal weed

For more than 50 years, marijuana has been a Schedule I drug. This designation means it has no medicinal value. Why that designation could soon change

  • Retired paratrooper Don Talbot advocates for rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III.
  • Rescheduling would benefit veterans with PTSD and chronic pain by increasing access to cannabis-based treatments.
  • Former President Trump’s support for rescheduling cannabis offers hope for change at the federal level.

To The Editor:

State Sen. Michael Lazzara outlines the compelling reasons why cannabis should be rescheduled from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. These reasons include the expansion of medical research, increasing access to cannabis-based treatments for patients and the potential for economic growth.

When it comes to increasing patient access, one group that would undoubtedly benefit from this change is veterans, who choose treatment at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center and Womack Army Medical Center.

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As a retired paratrooper with three tours of duty at Fort Bragg and three combat tours in Vietnam I have served with many veterans who are stressed with PTSD and had to endure pain from combat wounds and other physical injuries. Many service members struggle with issues like PTSD and chronic pain that aren’t relieved by other, more traditional treatments and cannabis being considered a Schedule I drug means that those who primarily receive care through the VA aren’t able to readily access cannabis-based treatments.

Thankfully, as Sen. Lazzara points out, President Trump has expressed his support for rescheduling cannabis. I expect that federal agencies will follow his lead and make this change possible for the patients and veterans who rely on cannabis-based treatments to get through each day.

Don Talbot, US Army Retired, Fayetteville, NC

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