Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have enacted medical marijuana programs. Despite this expansion military veterans often face greater obstacles to gaining access to medical marijuana than other groups. Veterans suffer widespread health problems including chronic pain, traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder at a rate higher than the general population. When veterans seek medical care from the federal Veterans Administration health system, they not only lack access to medical marijuana but may fear jeopardizing all federal benefits if they admit to personal use.[i] Notwithstanding the rapid spread of medical marijuana across the United States, many veterans report feeling left behind.[ii]
I. Military Veterans and Health Problems
A military veteran is defined as a person who previously served in the United States military. This group includes both wartime and peacetime veterans. There are over 20 million veterans currently living in the United States. The majority of these served during Vietnam or the War on Terror campaigns. Veterans are increasingly underrepresented in the legislative decision-making progress. The percentage of veterans serving in Congress declined from 81% in 1975 down to approximately 20% today.[iii]
Veterans face unique health risks as a result of their military service. The most obvious are physical wounds from gunshots, indirect fire, or improvised explosive devices. These wounds range from minor to catastrophic. Many of these injuries require ongoing medical care and pain management. Advances in battlefield medicine have resulted in fewer battlefield deaths, but also a larger proportion of veterans returning home with ongoing medical needs. Some military veterans are exposed to special chemical, environmental or biological hazards, such as Agent Orange in Vietnam or burning oil wells in Iraq.