Welcome to the VMCA Website
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-07-18/veterans-marijuana-white-house/56307972/1
Veterans Health Administration releases first ever system-wide medical marijuana directive. 22 July 2010
First there was this letter:
Letter from VA General Counsel Gunn to Michael Krawitz:
http://www.veteransformedicalmarijuana.org/files/Gunn-Response.pdf
Then there was this letter:
Letter to Michael Krawitz, VMCA Director from Dr. Petzel, VHA
Undersecretary For Health with definitive health answer to question
referred by General Counsel:
http://www.veteransformedicalmarijuana.org/files/Undersecretary-Jun6.pdf
Then there was this article:
V.A. Easing Rules for Users of Medical Marijuana
By Dan Frosch [published in the New York Times front page above the fold]
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/health/policy/24veterans.html?pagewanted=all
All leading up to this new VA policy!
https://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=11394
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"The work we did on this issue was for all Vets of all time periods. My personal injuries led me to find medical cannabis to help control my chronic pain. My fellow Vets, thousands of them have found the same medicine to relieve their suffering and will appreciate this strong support and Dr. Petzel's attention."
Michael Krawitz
-- Founding Director of Veterans For Medical Cannabis Access
Petition to Reschedule Marijuana
First incorporated in 2007 as Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access (VMMA) , Veterans For Medical Cannabis Access or VMCA,
advocates for veterans' rights to access medical cannabis for
therapeutic purposes.
VMCA encourages all legislative bodies to endorse veterans' rights
to use medical cannabis therapeutically and responsibly, and is
working to end all prohibitions associated with such use.
VMCA is working to preserve and protect the long established doctor-patient relationship including the ability to safely discuss medical cannabis use within the V.A. healthcare system without fear of punishment or retribution.
Here are the some VA statistics about Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans:
- Veterans: 981,834 (out of nearly two million deployed)
- Veterans Treated at VA Hospitals and Clinics: 425,538 (43.3% of veterans)
- Veterans Diagnosed by VA with Mental Health Condition: 193,879 (45.6% of veterans treated by VA)
- Veterans Diagnosed by VA with PTSD: 114,908 (27.0% of veterans treated by VA)
- Veterans Filing Disability Claims Against VA: 381,782 (38.9% of veterans)
- Veterans with Approved PTSd Claims: 53,079 (46.2% of the veterans diagnosed by VA with PTSd)
Today the USA federal govt Roadblock against studying cannabis for PTSD was lifted!!!!!! #PTSD #VA #CANNABIS #DEA #ONDCP #RESCHEDULECANNABIS
— Michael Krawitz (@Michael_Krawitz) March 15, 2014
"We must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors."
- President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 23, 2007.