DEA Approves First-Ever Trial Of Medical Marijuana For PTSD In Vets

Non-profit MAPS receives $2.156 million grant from State of Colorado for first clinical trial of whole plant marijuana for PTSD treatment,

Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies
By Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies
Former U.S. Marine Sgt. Ryan Begin smokes medical marijuana at his home in Belfast, Maine. Begin had endured 35 surgeries after having his right elbow blown off by a roadside bomb in 2004. He is a proponent of legalizing pot for recreational use and allowing individual citizens the right to grow six plants. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

SANTA CRUZ – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has formally approved the first-ever randomized controlled trial of whole plant medical marijuana (cannabis) as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in U.S. veterans. The DEA’s approval marks the first time a clinical trial intended to develop smoked botanical marijuana

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Chicago Vets Are Keeping These Students Safe In Dangerous Neighborhoods

Leave No Veteran Behind employs these local veterans by paying off their debt and helping them look for jobs. Their job is to look out for the 8,000 students commuting to school every day.

True Activist
By True Activist

Veterans in Chicago are keeping students safe in one of the most dangerous regions of Chicago by being present as the students walk to school. The Safe Passage Program, founded in 2011 by a non-profit organization called Leave No Veteran Behind (LNVB), has two purposes: to reduce the violence in these areas and to pay off the student debt of

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US Could Eliminate Homelessness Among Veterans With ‘Functional Zero’ Cities

Inspired by cities that have all but eliminated homelessness among veterans, one increasingly popular solution is to create villages of tiny homes that provide housing as well as support services like mental health counseling, job training and nutrition programs.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk
Homeless Korean War veteran Thomas Moore, 79, left, speaks with Boston Health Care for the Homeless street team outreach coordinator Romeena Lee on a sidewalk in Boston. M (AP/Steven Senne)

MINNEAPOLIS --- Cities across America are finding some success in their efforts to eradicate homelessness among veterans. A January 2014 report from the Housing and Urban Development Department, citing the annual Point-in-Time Count of homeless individuals in the U.S., suggested 49,933 veterans are homeless in America each day. The total

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Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers Pushing To Get Veterans Access To Medical Marijuana

Nineteen Democrats and two Republicans want a new policy that “removes barriers that would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship” in states where medical marijuana is legal.

Christina Sarich | Underground Reporter
By Christina Sarich | Underground Reporter
Afghanistan | Veterans Suicide

Under a policy that expired January 31, 2016, Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors were not allowed to discuss medical marijuana treatments to their patients. Twenty-one lawmakers are urging VA doctors to allow medical marijuana to be not only discussed, but sometimes recommended in states where it is legal. Nineteen Democrats and two Republicans,

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Despite Efforts, Thousands Of Vets Across The Country Remain Homeless

Studies show that homeless veterans are disproportionately black or Hispanic, and overwhelmingly male, but some cities are already seeing positive results from recent campaigns to end homelessness among the country’s veterans.

MintPress News Desk
By MintPress News Desk
Homeless veteran James Thomas, 62, who was sleeping along the Miami River, talks with officials from the Veteran's Administration during the Point In Time Homeless Census, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MINNEAPOLIS --- Despite the success of some nationwide efforts at ending homelessness among veterans, as many as 50,000 remain homeless. Because of the transient nature of the homeless population, exact figures are hard to come by. But a January 2014 report from the Housing and Urban Development Department cited the annual Point-in-Time Count of

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Who Really Supports The Troops?

Who really supports the troops? Those who merely say they support them while refusing to criticize the militarism that imperils them, or those who vocally oppose militarism while trying to convince families, friends, neighbors, and total strangers to join them in opposition?

Sheldon Richman
By Sheldon Richman
Retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jackie Powell, left, of Canton, Ga., gives some instruction on saluting to Boy Scout Logan Schell, 12, of Cumming, Ga., as they place flags at the graves of military service members ahead of the Memorial Day holiday at Georgia National Cemetery, Saturday, May 25, 2013, in Canton, Ga.

A huge sign outside a local tire store really irritated me a couple of weeks ago. Its large letters blared: "WE SUPPORT THE TROOPS." I was tempted to get out of the car and demand that the owner tell me what he was actually doing besides displaying the sign, which probably didn't cost much in money or effort. I suspected that posting the sign was

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