Exec. Dir. of Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, Michael Krawitz, on the federal government’s ruling to allow some veterans to be treated with medical marijuana.
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Exec. Dir. of Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, Michael Krawitz, on the federal government’s ruling to allow some veterans to be treated with medical marijuana.
11 Comments
Thanx Michael for all the help and encouragement you have given me over the last months while I have been tying to work through all the difficulties at the VA Mather Pain Clinic outside of Sacramento. Since they terminated care of me for severe back disease my pain level has gone up but I will not capitulate to the hidden empire they have built up for their esteem. After no satisfaction going through the hospital I had entered into correspondence with the director of the northern California VA
July 29, 2010 at 9:51 am | | Report comment
I am an Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran. When I returned home, the first thing they put me on was Zoloft and Klonopin and those chemical prescription drugs tore up my stomach. I still to this day have a problem with my digestive track. When I got out and came home to California, my friend introduced me to a private Dr. that I had to pay out of pocket for. However since being on Medical Marijuanna my life has changed. It helps me to sleep at night. It gives me back my apetite. It allows me to live a normal life, without feeling edgy and ready to battle. With all the information out there proving that it wont hurt the fighting force. What is the issue? We let them get drunk which is a thousand times worse!
July 29, 2010 at 10:01 am | | Report comment
That’s awesome news. Hopefully Arizona pass Prop 203 this November
July 29, 2010 at 10:06 am | | Report comment
Pingback: V.A. Easing Rules for Users of Medical Marijuana
Thank you for your work, now if Geoff Davis and Mitch Mcconnell would get their act together in the state of Kentucky,Veterans could get their meds.
July 29, 2010 at 12:42 pm | | Report comment
EVERYONE WHO HAS A MEDICAL NEED SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MEDICAL MARIJ ANYWHERE IN THE USA
July 29, 2010 at 2:10 pm | | Report comment
. As remarkable as this bit of news is, this policy is the same as the original policy adopted by the VA back in 2003. I researched the question of what was the justification for stopping a Veteran’s pain meds when they test positive for marijuana back in 2008, and was told the doctors where required by law to stop a patients meds. I then inquired as to what law required them to do this I was told that the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act of 1937 required them to do this. I responded to them that the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was declared unconstitutional in 1970 and that the law they wanted was the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. I also told them that nowhere in the 1970 law does it require a VA Doctor to stop a patients meds if they test positive for marijuana. In a letter from the VA dated 11 August 2008, which was a reply to a 20 June 2008 letter I had sent, The VA cited VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines, Opoid Therapy For Chronic Pain Summary dated June 2003, page 13 paragraph M2.1, and page 15, paragraph N2.2, and N2.3. After some research I found the appropriate regulation and it states that pain contracts, urinalysis, and withholding a patients pain medications are not required by the Doctor. The Doctor is only required to ’consider’ using these methods if he determines his patient might be having a problem with their medication, he is not required to do anything.
The new policy is virtually the same as the original policy, and as we have always argued, a decision that should be made between a patient and his doctor. There is no doubt of the many benefits of medical marijuana. The question is when will the Federal Government allow our wounded Veterans, those most deserving of every tool we can give them to cope with the horrific injuries they have suffered in the name of the American People, to benefit from medical marijuana as the patients in 14 States are currently allowed to do?
mike has done a lot of work but the ultimate goal is for the VA to prescribe and supply medical marijuana to our most deserving citizens.
July 29, 2010 at 6:39 pm | | Report comment
Go Mike!!!!!! Awesome work!!!!!
July 29, 2010 at 9:12 pm | | Report comment
THX Mike for everything and soon for ALL VETS, not just those staes with MMJ LAWS. Go VMMA!!!
July 30, 2010 at 8:43 pm | | Report comment
This is an excellent and scientifically sound decision. Let’s not forget for a moment that both the American Medical Association and the Institute of Medicine support Medicinal Cannabis, and in Canada the Government even pays for the Medicinal Cannabis for their Veterans. There is no doubt in my mind that this decision will alleviate some very serious physical dependency problem that may result from the use of many common prescription drugs, be it pain pills, tranquilizers, sleeping pills and so on. Good decision from all points of view. I thank you for the Veterans who may greatly benefit from Medicinal Cannabis!
August 1, 2010 at 6:48 pm | | Report comment
Michael..good work.
I work with Michael and just had a resolution passed by the State Executive Committee in North Carolina. I have bucked, successfully, the party leadership and introduced the resolution appropiately, even though it required a suspension of the rules. The article is at http://www.yourdailyjournal.com
Michael was with me for support and his work has made the task exceedingly successful…keep it up and hope Dr. Krivtsky will send a comment to the local paper in support
August 2, 2010 at 8:11 pm | | Report comment