Tag: veterans

Veteran With PTSD Can Sue the Cops Who Arrested Him for Panhandling and Tased His Service Dog, Court Rules

A homeless veteran arrested for panhandling—and whose service dog was tased by law enforcement—can move forward with his lawsuit against police and the city, a federal court ruled this week.

Apart from the individual implications, the case also raises broader questions about the constitutionality of anti-panhandling ordinances, which have suffered defeats in various courts in recent years.

In October 2021, law enforcement in Gastonia, North Carolina, arrived at an intersection where Joshua Rohrer was standing on a median after a 911 caller phoned in to report Rohrer was “using [his] dog to make people feel sorry” for him. An officer requested backup from the Gastonia Police Department (GPD), and the scene quickly became somewhat of a circus, with several patrol cars and a slew of officers dispatched to address an alleged panhandler.

An officer demanded to see Rohrer’s identification, after which he furnished his Veteran ID card. Police said that did not suffice, promptly arresting him and ultimately booking him for solicitation and resisting arrest. (You can watch the bodycam footage here and decide for yourself if he resisted arrest.)

During that interaction, an officer tased Rohrer’s service dog, Sunshine, who ran off and was later hit by a car, killing her.

The government would ultimately drop the charges against Rohrer. But even after the ordeal, law enforcement has continued to subject him “to a relentless campaign of harassment” according to his complaint against the City of Gastonia and several officers with the GPD. It alleges violations of his First and Fourth Amendment rights, including for excessive force and the unreasonable seizure of his service animal.

Rohrer’s complaint also notes that the GPD has posted “hundreds of statements that belittle and disparage Mr. Rohrer and spread false and misleading information about the incident” on social media.

“You also know that two grand juries supported the charges and that Mr Rohrer and his private legal team could have challenged the charges in court but that’s not what they chose to do now was it?”the city posted on its official GPD page. “Instead they accepted the plea deal that was offered to him. Perhaps to avoid having an actual court date where evidence and testimony would have been presented. Who knows why they chose to accept the deal offered.” Rohrer did not, in fact, plead guilty to anything tied to the October arrest.

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Psychedelic Retreats ‘Significantly Improved’ Mental Health For Military Veterans With PTSD And Depression, Study Finds

A new study of military veterans who attended psychedelics retreats finds that psilocybin and ayahuasca both yielded significant improvements in participants’ mental health, including reductions in symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety as well as improved sleep, quality of life and post-deployment reintegration.

The report, published in the journal Brain and Behavior, describes the research as “the first study to investigate psychedelic retreats as a holistic therapy for veterans’ mental health alongside community reintegration.”

“Psilocybin and ayahuasca retreats significantly improved veterans’ mental well-being, quality of life, PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep, concussion, and post-deployment reintegration,” it says, adding that the retreats “could provide a treatment framework to aid veterans’ recovery by addressing psychological well-being, communal factors, and reintegration into civilian life.”

The study followed 55 veterans who self-enrolled in psychedelic retreats using psilocybin or ayahuasca following a program by Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit that connects veterans with psychedelic therapy in jurisdictions where it’s legal.

“For psilocybin, the substance was taken as a tea brewed from dried psilocybin mushrooms with individualized doses determined by the retreat staff between 1.5 and 3.5 g for Session 1 and between 3 and 5 g for Session 2,” the report says. “One gram boosters of psilocybin were offered one hour from the initial dose.”

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U.S. House Approves Amendment Allowing VA Doctors to Recommend Medical Cannabis to Veterans

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved an amendment that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians to recommend medical marijuana to veterans in states where it’s legal.

The measure, introduced by Representatives Brian Mast (R-FL) and Dave Joyce (R-OH), was adopted as part of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3944). The overall bill is expected to receive a final vote on the House floor soon.

The amendment would prohibit the VA from using federal funds to enforce a longstanding policy that prevents VA doctors from assisting patients with enrolling in state-approved medical marijuana programs. Under current rules, VA physicians are barred from discussing or filling out the necessary paperwork for veterans to access legal marijuana, even in the 39 states that allow its use for medical purposes.

The amendment states:

“None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Veterans Affairs in this Act may be used to enforce Veterans Health Directive 1315 as it relates to:

(1) the policy stating that ‘VHA providers are prohibited from completing forms or registering Veterans for participation in a State-approved marijuana program’;

(2) the directive for the ‘Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management’ to ensure that ‘medical facility Directors are aware that it is VHA policy for providers to assess Veteran use of marijuana but providers are prohibited from recommending, making referrals to or completing paperwork for Veteran participation in State marijuana programs’; and

(3) the directive for the ‘VA Medical Facility Director’ to ensure that ‘VA facility staff are aware of the following’ ‘[t]he prohibition recommending, making referrals to or completing forms and registering Veterans for participation in State-approved marijuana programs.

Two bills have been filed this year in the House that would take a similar approach in easing access to medical cannabis for veterans, the Veterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act and the Veterans Equal Access Act, filed by Rep. Gregory Steube (R-FL) and Brian Mast (R-FL).

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Veterans deserve change. US should reschedule cannabis now.

When our nation’s heroes return home, they often face a quiet suffering — something I have seen happen so often in my peers. As a combat veteran and an advocate for those who have worn the uniform, I know that so many of us face these challenges long after we return home. Post-traumatic stress (PTS) is a battlefield of its own — invisible, relentless, and too often fought alone.

Over the years, I’ve dedicated my life to improving the lives of our veterans, whether serving as a Veterans Fellow and Lead Policy Advisor on Military and Veterans Affairs to Sen. Chuck Grassley, leading within the Iowa Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), or conducting academic research focused on veterans’ issues. One thing has become undeniably clear: it’s time to reschedule cannabis as a Schedule III substance under federal law, a change that is backed by President Donald Trump, which would open the door for unlocking its therapeutic potential for veterans suffering from PTS and other chronic illnesses.

Currently, cannabis remains a Schedule I substance — the same category as heroin — defined as having “no accepted medical use” and a “high potential for abuse.” This is not only scientifically outdated, but also morally indefensible. Veterans are not asking for a miracle cure. We are asking for options. We are asking for the freedom to explore alternative treatments when conventional therapies — prescription medications, talk therapy, or exposure therapy — fall short. For many veterans, they do. And for some, cannabis has helped where nothing else has.

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Texas Military Veterans Call On Governor To Veto Proposed Hemp THC Ban That Critics Say Would Harm Patients And Consumers

Veterans advocates in Texas are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to veto legislation that would outlaw all hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing any detectable THC, saying loss of access to the products would harm veterans, seniors, medical patients and everyday consumers.

“Banning legal hemp would cause irreversible harm to communities across the state,” the organization Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars said on social media on Wednesday, drawing attention to a petition urging Abbott to reject the measure that was sent to him early this week. “Stand up for your rights and livelihoods.”

The petition itself is from the Texas Hemp Business Council, a trade group representing the state’s roughly $8 billion hemp industry, which critics of the bill say would be decimated if the measure becomes law. Texas’s hemp industry employs 53,000 people, the group said.

“We, the undersigned citizens of Texas, call on Governor Abbott to reject SB 3 and any proposals banning products containing legal hemp,” the petition says. “Hemp is not a threat but a resource that helps countless Texans lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.”

“SB 3 would deprive Texans of natural alternatives for treating chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders throughout the state,” it adds. “A hemp ban also threatens small businesses and farmers in Texas who depend on hemp production for their livelihoods.”

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California Senators Kill Bill To Create Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program For Veterans And Former First Responders

A California Senate committee has declined to advance a bipartisan bill that would have created a psilocybin pilot program for military veterans and former first responders.

After moving through two other panels with unanimous support, the measure from Sens. Josh Becker (D) and Brian Jones (R) was shelved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday—with members declining to take it up or designate it as a two-year bill that could be revived later in the session.

The proposal as amended in a prior committee would have established a pilot program that would have been overseen by the University of California (UC) system. UC would have been requested to study and develop “psilocybin services” for eligible patients in up to five counties across the state in partnership with licensed clinics.

The universities would have been responsible for “protocol design, institutional review board approvals, training of psilocybin facilitators, data collection, and reporting” of the pilot program.

Under the legislation, the state would have also established a “Veterans and First Responders Research Pilot Special Fund,” with continuous appropriations to fund the work.

“Emerging research suggests that psilocybin and psilocyn, when used in a controlled setting, may offer significant benefits in treating mental health disorders, particularly those related to trauma and stress,” the bill’s findings section said.

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Trump’s VA Secretary Touts Being ‘One Of The First’ In His Role To Support Psychedelic Medicine For Veterans

The head of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is touting the fact that he’s “one of the first” secretaries of the agency with a commitment to exploring psychedelics as a potential therapy option for veterans.

During a pair of hearings before the House Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations Committees on Thursday, VA Secretary Doug Collins was asked about psychedelics issues by multiple GOP lawmakers, fielding questions about his intent to facilitate research in hopes of securing access for the veteran community.

At the Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI)—co-chair of the Congressional Psychedelic Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—asked whether Collins had “any visibility” about the status of VA-supported psychedelics studies.

“We’re getting there,” Collins said. “I’m also probably one of the first of the [VA] secretaries who’ve actually decided that we will take a look at it. We’re not simply putting it off, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can, under the rules given to us by Congress, to actually continue that look. What we’re seeing so far is positive.”

“What we’re seeing so far in some of the studies that are related to VA, and also outside of VA as well,” he said, “is that there has been—especially when it comes to [post-traumatic stress disorder], and also traumatic brain injury and others—we’re seeing some actual positive outcomes there, especially when it is coupled with intense counseling. And I think that’s the one of the keys that we look forward to.”

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President Trump Signs Executive Order to Establish National Center for Homeless Veterans, Redirects Funds Previously Spent on Housing Illegals

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) signalling his administration’s prioritization of the nation’s veterans rather than illegals.

The EO will redirect funds from housing for illegals to establish the National Center for Warrior Independence.  The Center will be located on the Veterans Affairs campus in West Los Angeles.

A Trump administration official told Fox News, “The new National Center for Warrior Independence will help them and other veterans like them rebuild their lives.”

The initiative will focus and providing shelter, healthcare, and job training to veterans in need and will partner with private organizations to expand support and resources.

Per Fox News:

The center will allow veterans from around the nation to seek and receive care, benefits and services “to which they are entitled,” the White House said.

The order redirects funds previously spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens to constructing, establishing and maintaining the new center.

“The Center will promote self-sufficiency through housing, substance abuse treatment, and support for productive work for the veterans housed there,” the White House explained.

According to the White House, the goal is to house up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the center by 2028.

In addition, the order directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to use vouchers to support homeless veterans.

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Florida Lawmakers Kill Medical Marijuana Expansion Bills, Including One To Let Military Veterans Register For Free

Several bills to expand Florida’s medical cannabis program have stalled out for the year, including a measure to exempt military veterans from patient ID card registration fees that was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives.

HB 555, from Rep. Alex Andrade (R), was one of a handful of marijuana-related measures withdrawn in recent days. Unlike the other bills, however, it had passed out of the chamber where it was filed, with House members voting 110–0 in favor. Nonetheless, the Senate indefinitely postponed it and withdrew it from consideration without a vote.

The Senate action occurred on May 3. Florida lawmakers have voted to extend the legislative session into early June, though they’re expected to focus mostly on budgetary matters after returning to Tallahassee.

Other bills that have been set aside without votes include proposals to allow patients to cultivate marijuana at home, expand the list of qualifying conditions for the program and protect employment and parental rights of people who use medical cannabis.

As originally filed, HB 555 would have made significant changes to the state’s existing medical cannabis program, for example allowing home cultivation as well as reciprocity for out-of-state patients. But a House committee amendment replaced its language with a two-page substitute that would make only small adjustments to the medical program.

First, the bill would change how often patients need to renew their medical marijuana cards, from the current annual process to once every two years.

Second, it would waive the $75 registration and renewal fees for veterans, specifying that the state “may not charge a fee for the issuance, replacement, or renewal of an identification card for a qualified patient who is a veteran.”

Sponsor Andrade didn’t respond to multiple requests from Marijuana Moment for comment on the bill’s withdrawal and any possible future action.

Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), said that whether or not lawmakers find a way to revive HB 555 during the extended session, “it has been a dismal session for cannabis policy reform in Florida.”

“There were a plethora of good cannabis policies submitted for debate,” he said in an email, “but as has been the case in most legislative sessions in the past few years, the legislature simply doesn’t want to even talk about cannabis policy.”

As for the newly withdrawn measure, Caldwell said lawmakers “whittled HB 555 down from a bill that would have created a much more robust medical cannabis program to a bill that would extend the lifespan of an ID card and waive fees for veterans.”

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Florida Bill To Make Medical Marijuana Cards Free For Military Veterans Passes House Unanimously

The Florida House of Representatives has unanimously approved a bill that would exempt military veterans from state registration fees for medical marijuana cards, allowing them to obtain the certifications for free.

After moving through committee earlier this month, the full chamber passed the legislation from Rep. Alex Andrade (R) in a 110-0 vote on Friday.

As originally filed, the measure would have made more significant changes to the state’s existing medical cannabis program, for example allowing home cultivation as well as reciprocity for out-of-state patients. But the House Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee replaced its language with a two-page substitute that instead would make only small changes to the medical program.

First, it would change how often patients need to renew their medical marijuana cards, from the current annual process to once every two years.

Second, it would waive the $75 registration and renewal fees for veterans, specifying that the state “may not charge a fee for the issuance, replacement, or renewal of an identification card for a qualified patient who is a veteran.”

On the floor, Rep. Daryl Campbell (D) thanked the sponsor for introducing the reform measure, saying “our veterans need medical marijuana cards often at rates higher than the general population, and it’s great that you are helping to ease the financial burden for them on this bill.”

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