Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Medical marijuana is often cited as an effective method of helping people deal with some chronic illnesses.
MTN News talked with Talyn Lang, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who uses it for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
"I saw two people shot to death right in front of me, in front of a store full of people," Lang said.
Lang has a medical marijuana card for another condition but finds that using cannabis also relieves his symptoms of PTSD.
He uses a "vaporizer pen" in the evenings so that he doesn't have to burn the plant material.
"When I smoke before I go to sleep, when I wake up in the morning, I don't remember my nightmares," he said.
With a green card in Montana, patients can walk into a dispensary and leave with up to an ounce of medical cannabis from their provider.
Qualifying conditions include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, and chronic pain.
Lang wants to add PTSD to the list, to give veterans what he says is a safer alternative to treat their symptoms.
"The Veterans Administration will prescribe a lot of different drugs - antidepressants, sometimes opiates. This combination of a toxic cocktail of drugs that are given to veterans have been shown to increase suicide," Lang said.
Lang says medical marijuana could help many veterans deal with the unseen scars after returning home from overseas deployments.
"There is more than anecdotal evidence. There are many many research studies and tons of information which scientifically proves that PTSD can be effectively managed with the medical use of marijuana," Lang said.
Montana state lawmakers proposed three bills recently to add PTSD as a qualifying medical condition, but those efforts stalled.
MT State Representative Kirk Wagoner, a Navy veteran, voted against two of the bills, saying that marijuana is just another addictive drug that treats the side effects, not the root cause of PTSD.
"The well- known and documented treatment is counseling or psychotherapy, and that has the best benefits. Medical marijuana is a lifestyle and that's not a good lifestyle," Rep. Wagoner said.
There are 23 states, and Washington D.C., that now have medical marijuana laws on the books, several of which include PTSD as an approved condition.
Lang says this is something Montana should embrace and a change he will keep working for.
"I'll continue this fight until medical marijuana for PTSD is recognized or we have full recreational (use)," Lang said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Montana veteran advocates marijuana as PTSD treatment - KXLH.com | Helena, Montana
Author: Keele Smith
Contact: news@kxlh.com
Photo Credit: MTN News
Website: Home - KXLH.com | Helena, Montana
MTN News talked with Talyn Lang, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who uses it for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
"I saw two people shot to death right in front of me, in front of a store full of people," Lang said.
Lang has a medical marijuana card for another condition but finds that using cannabis also relieves his symptoms of PTSD.
He uses a "vaporizer pen" in the evenings so that he doesn't have to burn the plant material.
"When I smoke before I go to sleep, when I wake up in the morning, I don't remember my nightmares," he said.
With a green card in Montana, patients can walk into a dispensary and leave with up to an ounce of medical cannabis from their provider.
Qualifying conditions include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, and chronic pain.
Lang wants to add PTSD to the list, to give veterans what he says is a safer alternative to treat their symptoms.
"The Veterans Administration will prescribe a lot of different drugs - antidepressants, sometimes opiates. This combination of a toxic cocktail of drugs that are given to veterans have been shown to increase suicide," Lang said.
Lang says medical marijuana could help many veterans deal with the unseen scars after returning home from overseas deployments.
"There is more than anecdotal evidence. There are many many research studies and tons of information which scientifically proves that PTSD can be effectively managed with the medical use of marijuana," Lang said.
Montana state lawmakers proposed three bills recently to add PTSD as a qualifying medical condition, but those efforts stalled.
MT State Representative Kirk Wagoner, a Navy veteran, voted against two of the bills, saying that marijuana is just another addictive drug that treats the side effects, not the root cause of PTSD.
"The well- known and documented treatment is counseling or psychotherapy, and that has the best benefits. Medical marijuana is a lifestyle and that's not a good lifestyle," Rep. Wagoner said.
There are 23 states, and Washington D.C., that now have medical marijuana laws on the books, several of which include PTSD as an approved condition.
Lang says this is something Montana should embrace and a change he will keep working for.
"I'll continue this fight until medical marijuana for PTSD is recognized or we have full recreational (use)," Lang said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Montana veteran advocates marijuana as PTSD treatment - KXLH.com | Helena, Montana
Author: Keele Smith
Contact: news@kxlh.com
Photo Credit: MTN News
Website: Home - KXLH.com | Helena, Montana
