Tag: veterans

FDA Approves Long-Awaited Clinical Trial Of Smoked Marijuana To Treat PTSD In Veterans

After years of delays, researchers are set to move forward on a landmark clinical trial meant to evaluate the efficacy of smoked medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military veterans. The study is being funded with tax revenue from legal cannabis sales in Michigan.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS, announced this week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for Phase 2 of the research, what MAPS described in a press release as “a randomized, placebo-controlled study of 320 Veterans suffering from moderate to severe PTSD who have previously used cannabis.”

The group said the study “is designed to investigate the inhalation of high THC dried cannabis flower, versus placebo cannabis, with the daily dose being self-titrated by participants.” It’s meant to reflect consumption patterns already happening across the country and study “the ‘real-world’ use of inhaled cannabis to understand its potential benefits and risks in treating PTSD.”

The project is years in the making, MAPS said, noting that it encountered numerous issues in clearing the research with FDA that only recently were resolved.

“After 3 years of negotiations with the FDA, this decision opens the door to future research into cannabis as a medical treatment, offering hope to millions,” the organization said.

“These data are critical to inform patients, medical providers, and adult-use consumers when considering cannabis in treatment plans for the management of PTSD, pain, and other serious health conditions,” the group’s press release said, “yet regulatory obstacles have historically made it difficult or impossible to conduct meaningful research on the safety and effectiveness of cannabis products typically consumed in regulated markets.”

MAPS said that over the years, it responded to five partial clinical hold letters from FDA that halted the study’s progress.

“On August 23, 2024, MAPS responded to the FDA’s fifth clinical hold letter by submitting a Formal Dispute Resolution Request (FDRR) to resolve the continued scientific and regulatory disagreement with the Division on four key issues,” according to the organization: “1) the proposed THC dose of the cannabis flower product, 2) smoking as a delivery method, 3) vaping as a delivery method, and 4) the enrollment of cannabis naïve participants.”

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Veterans: Why we want Trump to keep Iraq withdrawal deal

The election is now behind us and the impacts on America’s foreign policy are emerging. One thing that shouldn’t change is our commitment to the deal reached between the Biden administration and the Iraqi government for a withdrawal of most U.S. forces from Iraq in 2025.

As veterans who served in Iraq, we are urging the new administration to stick to the agreed timetable and see to it that American service members are no longer risking their lives in Iraq.

Ian Robinson, Air Force: Iraq—my first deployment in 2003 feels like a distant memory, yet when I close my eyes, I can vividly picture the sand swirling along the endless road that stretches to the horizon. Sometimes, I can almost feel the scorching heat on my skin; it’s like standing in front of a hairdryer on its highest setting on the hottest day of summer, dusty and dirty. This land has endured a lifetime of conflict and carries a heavy weight of animosity, and our troops still remain stationed there. Iraq is a place where we have never truly belonged, and the most promising path toward future stability may lie in our departure, especially after all the time and money and lives we have spent there.

Laura Hartman, US Army: As a 2004 Iraq War veteran, I’ve seen the toll war takes on warfighters, families, and innocent civilians. War leaves lives shattered, deep moral injuries and genetic conditions that affect generations. After reporting a military sexual assault, I left our FOB only to meet with military lawyers. As a former VA psychiatric nurse, I saw the truth of war unfold through my patients’ pain. Suicide prevention and mental health treatment are shared responsibilities. After decades of lies, bloodshed and betrayal, I support a full withdrawal from Iraq. Focus on nation-building here at home. It’s time to demand political accountability for the consequences of war. Enough is enough.

Adam Jahnke, USMC: Iraq is a bitter memory for me. I was injured and lost two friends from my platoon. I served with 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines, an infantry Company, from 2005-2009, I made two deployments to Iraq in 2006, and 2008. This time was the “best” worst time of my life. The lack of sleep, operational tempo, and challenges of a combat deployment were drastic. Everyone to the right and left of me rose to the occasion and fought hard, for each other, the Marine Corps, and our country. However, many of us including myself now feel our sacrifice was for naught. The loss of life and of resources was wasteful. Many of us suffer lifelong issues with PTSD, TBI, and other health conditions related to our deployments, as we are left wondering: “what was our sacrifice in Iraq for.”

Brian Fay, Army: I enlisted in the Army in 2007 during the second surge into Iraq, but I didn’t deploy until late 2009. I remember earlier that year watching the news as President Obama signed an agreement to draw down troops and leave only a presence of “non-combat” troops to train and advise. I went to Iraq shortly after, wondering just what our mission would be. We had just spent the last year and half training for urban warfare.

Aside from a few missions we ran with the Iraq Police, there was little advising and assisting being done. For a year we went out every night on missions to prevent IEDs on critical supply routes and reacting to rocket and mortar attacks on our FOB. Every day, during my supposedly “non-combat” tour in Iraq, my life and the lives of the soldiers I was with were put in danger. And for what? The only thing the agreement that President Obama signed with Iraq accomplished was restricting our rules of engagement with the enemy and putting us in further danger. There is no such thing as troops being able to stay in a combat zone and not be in some sort of life-threatening danger every single day.

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Veteran-Led Group Saved Lives in North Carolina amid Slow Federal Hurricane Helene Response

Rolling off of Exit 59 on Interstate 40, one could tell something big was happening at the Harley Davidson dealership in Swannanoa.

About a half dozen helicopters lined up in a grassy field behind the dealership, dust clouds swirling as one prepared for lift off.

Dozens of men in sunglasses, various shades of camouflage, and cargo pants moved about the parking lot with urgency.

Some were loading up ATVs with supplies to deliver to residents stuck in their homes. Some with K-9s were going out to look for the missing. Some had chainsaws to clear downed trees. Some directed air traffic for volunteer pilots airlifting supplies to towns like Chimney Rock that were unreachable by ground.

Some were former special operations veterans, like Aaron Switzer. Some were former firemen like Travis Patton. Some were civilians like Crystal Barker.

A garage that normally hosted live shows was transformed into what looked like a tactical operations center in the middle of a war zone.

Covered in a light-layer of dust, the garage was a beehive of activity, divided up into several sections with a long table at the center of each section.

There was an operations section — where volunteers took in requests for help and directed operations, a logistics section where requests for supplies were coordinated, an intelligence section where volunteers searched online for anyone needing assistance.

There were also local police, National Guard and active duty military personnel embedded at the site, and even a few volunteers from Tesla and SpaceX, working to get solar panels and Starlink satellites out to those in need.

The mission was to save lives and on that Saturday, October 12, the team had a list of over 1,000 names of people missing.

“Roughly 1,270-something people — souls — are still missing,” Switzer said.

The man who started the operation was a former U.S. Army Green Beret Adam Smith, who called on his former military buddies to help.

Smith was in Texas when Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina — where his three-year-old daughter and her mother lived. After they were cut off from communication, Smith decided to take action and fly in to rescue them rather than wait for a government response.

“It was a selfish desire to save my daughter and her mom,” he told Breitbart News in an interview. “After the storm hit, they were completely cut off, and we had no contact with them for, it was like 40 hours, 42 hours, somewhere in there… . And so this really started with me asking for help so I could get them out.”

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‘The Atlantic’ Immediately Debunked After Attempting Yet Another Trump Military Hit Piece

The sister of slain soldier Vanessa Guillén slammed The Atlantic after it used anonymous sources to allege that President Donald Trump disparaged her after discovering the funeral expenses. 

Guillén’s death at the hands of a fellow soldier and his girlfriend became national news in 2020, with Trump comforting the grief-stricken family and extending death benefits. He also offered to cover the costs personally if the Army did not pay for the funeral expenses. 

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, however, attempted to rewrite history on Tuesday, claiming that Trump was outraged when he learned that Guillén’s funeral, which included heightened security and closed streets, cost $60,000. 

According to the magazine—relying on an anonymous source—Trump allegedly said, “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a fucking Mexican!” and ordered then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to deny payment. 

Guillén’s sister, Mayra, issued a viral statement on X, condemning The Atlantic’s distorted portrayal of her experience with Trump. 

“I don’t appreciate how you are exploiting my sister’s death for politics- hurtful & disrespectful to the important changes she made for service members,” Mayra wrote on X, garnering over 3 million views. 

“President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today,” Mayra added.

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SHAMEFUL: Biden Admin’s John Kirby Said to Ignore Afghanistan Veterans Because They Don’t Vote Democrat

John Kirby of the Biden administration has just been caught saying something truly shameful about American veterans.

He did not realize that he had hit ‘reply all’ on an email inquiry sent to his office by FOX News seeking comment on veterans and the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Kirby’s response stated that there was ‘no use in responding’ because these veterans are not Harris voters.

FOX News reported:

Kirby: ‘No use in responding’ to a ‘handful of vets’ on Biden’s botched Afghan withdrawal

On the anniversary of 9/11, White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby dismissed the concerns of military veterans critical of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, writing in response to a Fox News Digital press inquiry that there’s “no use” weighing in on the veterans’ views.

“Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe,” Kirby said in a “reply all” email chain Wednesday afternoon that appeared to be intended for White House staffers, but which also included Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital had reached out to the White House earlier Wednesday afternoon regarding critical comments from four veterans, including Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., who blasted Kirby for his Monday press conference that they said provided “cover” for the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal…

Kirby’s message was sent in error, with him following up with a Fox News Digital reporter, “Clearly, I didn’t realize you were on the chain.” Kirby sent the email while traveling with President Biden on the anniversary of 9/11.

People are really angry about this and rightfully so.

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HE’S SHOT: Joe Biden Insults Disabled Female Senator During Remarks on Disability Pride Month

Joe Biden, the alleged president, delivered remarks celebrating disability pride month on Monday after returning to the White House from Delaware.

The anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is historically celebrated in July.

“Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), one of our Nation’s most significant civil rights laws to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. For the more than 70 million Americans living with a disability, the ADA enshrines into law the idea that we all deserve opportunity, inclusion, respect, and dignity. I am proud to have co-sponsored this landmark legislation years ago, and I am honored to celebrate its lasting legacy today,” The White House said in July.

“The ADA was a historic triumph against discrimination that opened the doors to opportunity and independence for people with disabilities. But more work still needs to be done. Disabled Americans often earn less for the same work as nondisabled people. Additionally, too often, disabled Americans face obstacles that keep them from voting, prohibit them from getting to and from work and school, or limit their ability to enjoy public spaces,” the White House said.

81-year-old Biden spoke for about 12 minutes before shuffling away.

This is Biden’s only public event for the day after spending the weekend hiding in Delaware.

Joe Biden insulted Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) during his speech.

Tammy Duckworth is a wheelchair-bound double amputee and disabled veteran.

“Tammy not only has a heart as big as her head, but God love her…” Biden said heavily slurring.

Kamala Harris covered up this cognitive decline.

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VA whistleblower exposes the official VA medical claims data showing the COVID shots are a healthcare disaster

Yesterday, I received the official VA health claims data for the last 20 years from Sonny Fleeman, a signatory of the Declaration of Military Accountability and a member of Feds For Freedom.

In this video, Sonny explains how Veterans can get compensated for their injuries.

In this article, I’ll be releasing the data for the very first time so you can see for yourself whether you think the shots were helpful or harmful.

I’ll also show you conditions that were elevated by 50% or more from 2020 rates and I’ll go into detail on a few of them.

The VA is ignoring all these safety signals and not warning veterans about the possibility the shots could be unsafe. Instead, the VA is blindly trusting the CDC and ignoring their own data. They should be held accountable because by refusing to look at their own data, they are killing people. Too bad nobody in Congress will bring this data to their attention.

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Abbey Gate Families Issue Statement on Trump Honoring the Fallen at Arlington Cemetery After Media Hit Job on Alleged “Physical Clash” With Cemetery Official Over Photographer

President Trump and several family members of the fallen from the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate terror attack had a heartfelt, dignified morning at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday honoring their loved ones on the third anniversary of the attack. Trump participated with the family members along with several grievously wounded survivors in three wreath laying ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by a visit to the graves of the fallen in Section 60.

The wreath laying ceremonies were covered by the media (somewhat), but press was not allowed by cemetery rules at Section 60. However, the Trump campaign said it had been granted permission by Arlington and the families to film at Section 60 that day.

A cemetery official on the scene tried to prevent the photographers with Trump and the families from accompanying them in Section 60, provoking an alleged incident that was reported by NPR Tuesday (excerpt):

Two members of Donald Trump’s campaign staff had a verbal and physical altercation Monday with an official at Arlington National Cemetery, where the former president participated in a wreath-laying ceremony, NPR has learned.

A source with knowledge of the incident said the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump staffers from filming and photographing in a section where recent U.S. casualties are buried. The source said Arlington officials had made clear that only cemetery staff members would be authorized to take photographs or film in the area, known as Section 60.

When the cemetery official tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from entering Section 60, campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside, according to the source.

..In a statement to NPR, Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s spokesman, strongly rejected the notion of a physical altercation, adding: “We are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.

“The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony,” Cheung said in the statement.

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Stolen Valor Walz Plays Victim: “You Should Never Denigrate Another Person’s Service Record”

Bragging that he’s “a champion of our men and women in uniform” during a recent labor union conference for government employees, Walz also clapped back at media reports criticizing him for lying about his National Guard service.

“I’m gonna say it again as clearly as I can. I am damn proud of my service to this country. And, I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words. Thank you for your service and sacrifice,” he told the audience.

However, people aren’t denigrating Walz’s service record, they’re exposing the fact that he ditched his National Guard unit just after he learned they’d be sent to fight in the Iraq War.

The complaints are also coming from high-ranking servicemen like Walz’s battalion commander and others.

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2008 Video Shows Tim Walz Implying He Suffered PTSD from Afghanistan Deployment

Newly resurfaced video from a hearing in 2008 shows Minnesota Governor Tim Walz implying heavily that he suffered PTSD from deployment to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Walz was speaking to the family of a Gold Star veteran at the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Veterans and Mental Health when he made remarks that suggested he had personal experience of PTSD after serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004 with the National Guard.

“I can tell you this, having been one of those that came back. We were in support of OEF [Operation Enduring Freedom]… when we came back, they showed us the horse whisperer and told us to be nice when we went home. And that was the extent of it. That was in 2004.”

Since Walz became Kamala Harris’s presumptive running-mate, there has been intense scrutiny of his service record. Walz has been accused of “stolen valor” for making misleading statements about his rank and operational deployments. Walz never took part in Operation Enduring Freedom, the name for US operations directly in and above Afghan territory, but was posted to Italy with the National Guard in a support role. He has also been criticized for retiring from the National Guard in order to avoid a deployment to an actual warzone, Iraq.

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