Pubdate: Sat, 02 Apr 2016
Source: Kingston Whig-Standard (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.thewhig.com/letters
Website: http://www.thewhig.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/224
Author: Hannah Lawson
Page: A3

MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE AMONG VETERANS RISING

Medi-Green official attributes increase to better knowledge of PTSD
treatment

The founder of a local medical marijuana centre says the increase of
Canadian veterans requesting prescriptions for medical marijuana could
be attributed to better knowledge of treatment for soldiers suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Trevor Hands, the founder of the first medical marijuana centre in
Kingston, Medi-Green, attributes the rise in usage of cannabis among
veterans to an ever increasing knowledge of PTSD, physical trauma and
how to treat it.

"They've [ veterans have] looked at the past of their forefathers and
have seen what, potentially, alcohol and pills have done, and now
there's recognition of PTSD and what it is," Hands said.

Earlier this month, Minister of Veterans Affairs Kent Hehr announced
an internal review investigating a sharp increase of veterans using
medical marijuana to treat psychological and physical trauma. The
spike in medical marijuana use prompted Veterans Affairs to complete a
review and develop a policy for veterans seeking medical marijuana for
treatment.

Between the fiscal years of 2013 and 2015, there was a nearly 12-
times increase in veterans claiming reimbursement for cannabis,
according to numbers provided by Veterans Affairs. According to
Veterans Affairs, it reimbursed veterans $ 409,000 in fiscal year
2013- 2014, but that figure jumped to more than $ 12.1 million between
April and December of 2015.

In the past, some veterans were treated with the mentality of simply
taking it like a soldier, Hands said, but now that a greater
understanding of PTSD exists, the condition is actually being
diagnosed. He said cannabis is an effective and safe way to treat PTSD
once it is diagnosed, and if ever veterans want to quit using
marijuana, there are no worries of addiction.

Dan Quirion, a former Canadian Forces member, served in the army for
21 years as a signal operator. Quirion said he previously treated the
effects of PTSD with pharmaceutical drugs, but had better results with
medical marijuana.

"Soldiers are turning to cannabis because it's a better relief and a
better fit for them," Quirion said. "It helps them reach a level where
- - we don't like to say normal - but they are functional in their daily
lives.

Quirion said he had friends from the army who didn't leave their homes
for years, but cannabis has changed everything for them.

"They're able to go out, able to have a rapport with society, and are
able to bring back their family. In some cases, they had lost family,
wives or husbands," Quirion said.

In April of last year, Medi-Green opened its first centre in Perth,
followed by a Kingston location in December. Hands recognized a need
that was desperately unfulfilled between Toronto and Ottawa and
decided to do something about it.

"I didn't see any services [ here]," Hands said. "There are [ other
centres] coming to town now, but I didn't see any services, and both
Toronto and Ottawa are saturated with centres," Hands said.

Hands said Medi-Green tries to offer any service customers might
require, from prescriptions to lessons on proper use and even
retreats. Cannabis is a versatile plant that can be consumed by
smoking or mixing it into tea or baked or added to food, and part of
what Medi-Green offers is education on the best method of cannabis
ingestion for patients.

"It's a full gamut of things that we offer," Hands
said.

While Quirion said he had never touched any sort of illegal drugs in
his life before being given a prescription for medical marijuana, he
was finally convinced to try cannabis when he found he required
additional drugs to combat the effects of the pharmaceuticals he was
already being prescribed. He is now in the process of cutting back on
the pharmaceutical drugs with the intention of eventually relying
entirely on cannabis.

Veterans today have more options for support and treatment than those
who fought in wars and conflicts in the 20th century, according to
Quirion.

"Back then, many veterans dealt with trauma by bottling it in and
drinking," Quirion said. "Now veterans are looking for a long-term
solution, not so they can just operate every day within their
household, but so they can return to as close to normal as possible,"
Quirion said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt