Virginia’s medical cannabis processors came online in 2020, a monumental step for patient access to cannabis treatment. From children with pediatric epilepsy, to veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression and other conditions, this treatment is invaluable health care for many.
We regularly hear first-hand accounts from our fellow veterans that medical cannabis is the first and often only effective treatment for these myriad issues. Although important steps have been made in bringing this treatment to patients, there is more that can and should be done in order to improve effectiveness, create more affordable options for patients, and promote and protect patient safety — especially for veterans.
We urge legislators to support HB 2218 (Del. Cliff Hayes) and SB 1333 (Sen. Louise Lucas). This legislation would allow Virginia’s medical cannabis processors to offer cannabis flower as a course of treatment. These bills are high priorities for veterans for two reasons: patient health outcomes and access to medicinal cannabis.
First and foremost, flower products are more effective for certain illnesses due to the presence of hundreds of cannabinoids that are stripped away in the processed, oil-derived products that Virginia patients are limited to today. This is especially true for PTSD and chronic pain, which affects veterans at more than double the rate of the average American.
Along with improving patient outcomes, botanical cannabis products are 30-50% more affordable than oil-derived products. Insurance companies do not cover the cost of medical cannabis treatment. For veterans on a fixed income, these high costs pose a significant barrier to treatment. Flower will likely be the most affordable treatment option for them and can be the difference between obtaining treatment and forgoing it altogether.
Flower would be less expensive for Virginia’s medical cannabis processors to produce and, as a result, for patients to obtain. In a survey of patients in Minnesota, one of the states that prohibits flower, 86% of patients said medical cannabis was at least somewhat unaffordable. In Pennsylvania, affordability was one of the main factors behind the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board’s recommendation to allow access to flower.
Beyond affordability, veteran patients prefer cannabis flower as their source for treatment for efficacy reasons. Since there is currently no legal source offering the whole flower in Virginia, many veterans will continue to source their cannabis from the illicit market. By including botanical cannabis in the regulated medical cannabis market, we can promote patient safety with tested products and clinical guidance from practitioners and pharmacists. Safe access is especially important for those seeking alternative treatment options to the cocktail of medications regularly prescribed to veteran patients.
It is also important to recognize that smoking is not synonymous with botanical cannabis products, nor is it necessary to smoke in order to receive therapeutic effects from botanical cannabis. Inhalation devices are another effective route, as are a variety of oral administration forms, none of which subject patients to the harmful effects of smoking. In fact, inhalation is often one of the preferred methods of administration for many veteran patients, due to its quick administration.
In Congress, in VA hospitals and clinics, on our farms and fields, and in our communities, we have heard veteran voices advocating on behalf of the efficacy of medical cannabis. This session, we urge legislators to support the passage of HB2218 and SB1333. By offering the whole flower as a treatment option, Virginia has the opportunity to change the lives of veteran medical cannabis patients in critical need.
Doug Distaso is executive director of the Veterans Cannabis Project. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and went on to serve more than 21 years in the U.S. Air Force. Denver Riggleman is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and former representative for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, where he sponsored legislation focused on cannabis and economic reform. He currently serves as a member of the Veterans Cannabis Project advisory council.
