Zinger Key Points Since 2010, more than 71,000 veterans have taken their own lives. In 2023, 50,000 vets used emergency suicide prevention care.
Benzinga spoke with the president of the American Weed Co., which advocates for legalization and access to cannabis for all who need it.
A portion of its cannabis sales revenue supports the work of Stop Solider Suicide, ResponderStrong and other nonprofits.
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"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." Martin Luther King, Jr.
That silence sometimes doesn’t come from a battle but from something more troubling – suicide. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched emergency suicide prevention care, which as many as 50,000 veterans used. According to a 2022 VA report, an average of 17 veterans per day commit suicide. Since 2010, more than 71,000 veterans have taken their own lives.
That is one echoing silence.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Unfortunately, standard treatment for PTSD is often unsuccessful . New treatments are providing hope. Recent studies confirm the potential of cannabis and psychedelics to treat PTSD .
However, because of cannabis is still a Schedule I substance, VA clinicians cannot prescribe it even in states where it is legal. For veterans living in states that don’t have adult-use cannabis programs, access to cannabis is nearly impossible. Over recent years, legislators, nonprofits and advocates have been pushing to change this . One cannabis company has joined the fight to help veterans obtain safe access to this natural plant. The American Weed Co . is advocating for national legalization and access to cannabis for all who need it. A portion of every purchase of its marijuana products and merchandise goes back to the community – supporting the work of Stop Solider Suicide, ResponderStrong and other nonprofits. Benzinga wanted to learn more so we reached out to Ryan Brooks , co-founder and president of the California-based American Weed Co."Jess [his wife ] and I are from Texas, and we both have family members who served," Brooks told Benzinga. "We’ve seen […]
17 US Veterans Take Their Own Lives Everyday, Here’s How One Cannabis Company Is Trying To Help
