Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor

A recent report found that certain officials in the Trump administration actually discussed convincing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to start researching how medical cannabis could benefit veterans. The report also shows there was concern Attorney General Jeff Sessions might be unhappy with such a move. A VA official is quoted as saying it would be the “right thing to do” but that the Department of Justice and possibly other Trump administration leaders could push back on the plan.

“There is a wave of feedback heading towards the executive branch from the veterans and their loved ones who have seen the positive impact of cannabis as a medicine, and this is what the administration must contend with,” Michael Krawitz, executive director of Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, told Cannabis News Box. “The only responsible thing to do would be to create a way for the VA to study these effects so that they can benefit the rest of the Veterans in our system.”

Donald Trump has not expressed whether he thinks medical cannabis should be available to veterans, but he has said at times that legalization should be left to the states and that medical cannabis could be beneficial for some people. That said, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who he appointed, has been trying to wage a war on cannabis and does not see medical benefits to using it.

“Although Attorney General Jeff Sessions seems hell-bent on restarting the War on Drugs, Congress has a large portfolio of bills on the table at this time to do just the opposite. The administration seems to be dormant at this time on the cannabis issue, [which] we hope… is a good thing,” Krawitz said.

Around 22 veterans commit suicide a day, mostly because of the fact they’re facing physical or mental problems connected to their time serving in the military. They can also be prone to suicide because of the cocktail of addictive drugs the VA prescribes them to deal with these issues. Many veterans have found cannabis can help treat things like PTSD and chronic pain, which could mean there would be fewer suicides if this safer treatment was available to them. Krawitz said it is a dire situation that needs to be addressed.

“Our veterans are the canary in the coal mine. We are losing more individuals to suicide than we lost in the battlefields,” Krawitz said. “These are the issues we all face and fixing… veterans’ issues is a way we can discover how to help everyone else. We are all in the lifeboat together, and cannabis is a rope that can help lead our boat safely to shore.”