A new survey of U.S. military veterans points to substantial support for marijuana legalization, medical access, and expanded research into cannabis-based treatments.
The poll, undertaken by Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), surveyed 470 members of the veterans’ organization. Sixty-one percent said marijuana should be legal for adult recreational use, while 87 percent backed its availability for medical purposes.
Awareness of federal policy changes was also relatively high. Almost 75% of those surveyed said they knew about the federal government’s move to shift medical cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 under the CSA. Among those familiar with the change, 69% expressed support.
Medical research received even stronger backing. Some 91% of respondents said marijuana should be studied for possible medical applications. Meanwhile, 88% said the Veterans Affairs Department should allow research into cannabis as a potential treatment.
Among respondents interested in cannabis as a treatment option, seven out of ten expressed comfort discussing medical marijuana with a primary care physician. Yet less than one-third, or 29%, said they had actually discussed the subject with a doctor.
IAVA said the results point to a recurring theme: veterans appear especially interested in medical uses and scientific research, while uncertainty and limited communication with health professionals remain barriers.
The organization is calling on lawmakers to increase federal funding for studies focused specifically on veterans. Such research, it said, should assess the effectiveness and safety of marijuana treatments while examining possible long-term consequences.
IAVA also urged researchers to investigate whether medical cannabis affects the use of other substances, such as alcohol, prescription opioids, and benzodiazepines. It said studies should also consider possible links to suicide-related factors and broader measures of veterans’ life quality.
Among the proposals highlighted by the organization is the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act, which would require the Veterans Affairs Department to study marijuana’s potential therapeutic uses for veterans suffering from certain medical conditions.
IAVA also pointed to the Veterans Equal Access Act, legislation intended to permit VA physicians to provide medical marijuana recommendations. Another proposal, the Veterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act, would seek to prevent veterans from losing federal benefits because they use medical cannabis.
The organization said policy changes should make it easier for veterans and clinicians to have open, evidence-based discussions about cannabis. It also called for VA-approved educational materials covering potential benefits, health risks, interactions with other medications, and the limits of current evidence.
Such measures would go a long way in complementing what marijuana firms, such as Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF), are doing to help customers select the most suitable products that could help them with the symptoms they grapple with.
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