For veterans Aaron Newsom and Jason Sweatt, the only relief that they can find from there painful memories, is cannabis. Since World War II, when post traumatic stress disorder started becoming more common, veterans have turned to horticulture. Horticulture is the practice of gardening as therapy. However sometimes this wasn't even enough for Newsom, so he started secretly growing marijuana to cope with the memories of Afghanistan. His friends and family were supportive of this decision because he was growing it for the right reasons. Through a veteran organization, Newsom met Sweatt who was a weed enthusiast, and from there a business grew. Weed can be expensive, so to make this option more affordable, they sell it to them at discounted prices and 10% of their profits go to veteran organizations. Believe it or not, many doctors recommend marijuana instead of Opioids which is commonly given to veterans, but it often makes things worse and can lead to a higher addiction rate in veterans. There are multiple organizations called Hero Grown and Weed for Warriors that advocates the use of medical marijuana and gives free handouts in select places around the U.S. Not everyone can just come and get free weed handouts though, you need proof of service, a doctor's recommendation, and a California ID. After receiving vouchers there are meetings where veterans talk about their issues and what strains of cannabis work best.
Weed is fixing problems and bringing people together to create better experiences for everyone. I think its comical that something perceived as illegal and horrible is making such a positive impact on heroes of our nation. This can be related to the temperance and prohibition movement because the 18th amendment prohibited the sale of alcohol and drinking in public which is similar to the illegal state of marijuana. However, now many states have legalized weed and it is becoming more and more popular throughout the nation, mimicking the trend of alcohol back in the 1920s.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/28/health/veterans-grass-roots-marijuana/index.html
Olivia Wall- That is very interesting, I do know that weed can help when medically prescribed.
ReplyDeleteThis is super interesting! The stigma around weed use is kind of an overreaction, especially when it's adults using it safely. It reflects pretty well the conservative social views of our country.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I liked the connection you made back to the movements relating to the 18th amendment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Larsen, I feel like people associate weed with being irresponsible/ something teens do, but it can be very useful medically.
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