American Legion asks Donald Trump to allow cannabis for veterans

One of the largest veterans' groups in the United States has requested a meeting with the American President at the White House through the American Legion. Among other things, they are calling for a rescheduling of cannabis' status as a federally controlled substance.

This measure will enable researchers to legally harness the potential of cannabis to best help veterans who are at risk. suffer from post-traumatic syndromes or those with brain injuries. The letter sent to the White House explains that the purpose of the meeting with Donald Trump is to discuss the serious problems faced by veterans, including suicide or opiate addiction.

This change in status requested by the American Legion could lead to conflicts with American administration leaders who advocate the prohibition of cannabis (whether therapeutic or recreational), as is the case with the Republican attorney Jeff Sessions. The latter had reported that weed «is an addiction that ruins the lives of users and is just a little less serious than heroin».»

However, Louis Celli, the American Legion's National Director of Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, makes it clear that the Legion «is not seeking to legalize cannabis, but that would be to deny the obvious: cannabis has proven effective for some veterans. The only difference is that it hasn't been proven in federal research because cannabis has remained illegal.»

More studies needed to advance cannabis legalization

Under U.S. federal law, cannabis is classified as a «Class I» substance, alongside LSD, cocaine and ecstasy. Regulators consider it a drug of "abuse with no recognized medical properties". Sue Sisley, psychiatrist at Scottsdale Research Institute based in Phoenix, Arizona, leads one of the only existing studies of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. «We desperately need more research on the subject so that we can inform the government,» she recounted. «I don't know if cannabis will be useful for patients suffering from this syndrome. That's what veterans tell me, but to date we don't have enough rigorous studies for me to be convinced.»

The American Legion has also received numerous messages from veterans who have access to medical cannabis. They confirm that cannabis has been effective in treating their symptoms. The Legion's Director of Relations calls these statements «the signature wounds of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.»

The director even recounts that some veterans have explained to him that they wouldn't be alive today if they hadn't treated themselves with medical cannabis. «It's only anecdotal evidence, but it helps to think about the issue,» he says.

American Legion calls for reclassification of medical cannabis

In August 2016, the Legion asked the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) a resolution to authorize medical cannabis production operations. This operation was suggested in order to enable «safe and effective research for the development of medical cannabis». The resolution was also submitted to Congress to «downgrade cannabis from Rank I and place it in a category that will recognize the benefits of medical cannabis as a safe medical value». Legion officials held discussions with Donald Trump's new administration following his victory in the presidential election last November. They were able to define new priorities, including the request to reclassify cannabis so that medical research could be carried out.

Although few studies have been carried out on the subject, and «proof» is currently based on anecdotal evidence, testimonials are piling up from veterans who, since taking medicinal cannabis, have managed to rid themselves of problems such as insomnia due to repeated nightmares. The American Legion, by requesting a meeting with Donald Trump as soon as possible, wants to combat drug addiction and reduce the number of veteran suicides in the United States to 0 instead of 20 per day today.

Mehdi Bautier