Medical marijuana and veterans activists plan to march in Olympia Wednesday to celebrate the addition of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury to the list of conditions that qualify for medical cannabis in Washington.
The new law takes effect on Friday.
RainierExpress is a medical marijuana dispensary in downtown Olympia that caters to veterans. Owner Patrick Siefert -- a vet himself -- unscrews the lid to a jar containing marijuana buds.
This strain is called Nigerian Sunshine. There’s a sticker on the jar that says PTSD.
“Because this has helped other veterans with PTSD,” Siefert explained.
Siefert views marijuana as an alternative to pharmaceuticals. He believes allowing veterans with PTSD and TBI access to medical cannabis could reduce veteran suicides.
In Oregon, PTSD has been a qualifying condition for medical marijuana since last year. However, just last week the Colorado Board of Health rejected a proposal to add cannabis to the list of approved treatments for PTSD in that state.
The PTSD and TBI provision is part of a sweeping overhaul of Washington’s medical marijuana industry. The aim of the new law is to regulate medical cannabis under the state’s recreational pot system.
Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network
