WHATFG
Well-Known Member
From 420 Magazine...
Marijuana for Trauma, a growing movement of young volunteer Afghan war veterans, is setting up shop in eastern Ontario in an effort to reach mentally and physically injured troops still struggling in the aftermath of their military service.
The first branch of ‘MFT’ opened in the Gagetown, N.B. area in the spring of 2013 and began attracting veterans from out of province — including the Petawawa, Pembroke and Trenton areas.
Branches are also operating in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
The group helps veterans suffering from previously diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic pain find a prescribing doctor, access marijuana through legal, certified providers and deal with Veterans Affairs and other related form filling.
“We’re not pushing it on people,” said Cory D’Andrea, a veteran of two tours of Afghanistan and MFT’s Petawawa area representative. “But a lot of veterans have reason to use marijuana so why hide behind closed doors when it’s perfectly legal.”
With the help of outside specialists, MFT also teaches marijuana management, holds yoga and meditation sessions and social events where veterans meet and interact with peers.
The Ontario headquarters opened this past spring in Markham and the response, said MFT Ontario vice-president Andrew Brown, has been “incredible.”
The majority of veterans they are seeing are from the Bosnia era.
“That’s been a surprise,” he said. “I guess the average age is just shy of 50.”
PTSD sufferer D’Andrea, who took part MFT outreach sessions at the Centennial Flame on Thursday, with Brown and Ontario MFT president Chris Dupee, said medical marijuana had transformed him from a basement hermit into a functioning person.
“It’s given me the motivation to do renovations and cleaning around the house,” he said. “I can be outside and in shopping centres and it’s improved my domestic life. I don’t abuse it. I like to be in control.
“Veterans who use medical marijuana don’t get high,” he added.
D’Andrea said he expects MFT will tap into a significant need around the Petawawa and Pembroke area where the mainstream system is missing many veterans in need of help.
“A lot of people stay in the area when they get out of the military,’ he said.
Some veterans on prescription drugs for their mental and physical disabilities are finding medical marijuana a more effective alternative, said Dupee.
“Nobody is coming to us as a first option,” he said. “They’ve been doped up with pills and unable to function. Pills make you numb. At peer nights, guys have been telling us that the medical marijuana is starting to help them feel (their emotions) again.”
Helping veterans with the myriad of paper work is proving an important and popular piece of MFT’s work, said Brown.
“When you’re in the military all of that responsibility is taken away from you,” he said. “Somebody fills out the forms, hands them to you and you sign where they tell you to sign.
“Even though it allows them to access what they are entitled to,” he added, “injured veterans just can’t or won’t fill forms. We take the burden off them.”
Key for some veterans, he said, is that “when a veteran contacts MFT, a veteran answers.”
Marijuana for Trauma, a growing movement of young volunteer Afghan war veterans, is setting up shop in eastern Ontario in an effort to reach mentally and physically injured troops still struggling in the aftermath of their military service.
The first branch of ‘MFT’ opened in the Gagetown, N.B. area in the spring of 2013 and began attracting veterans from out of province — including the Petawawa, Pembroke and Trenton areas.
Branches are also operating in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
The group helps veterans suffering from previously diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic pain find a prescribing doctor, access marijuana through legal, certified providers and deal with Veterans Affairs and other related form filling.
“We’re not pushing it on people,” said Cory D’Andrea, a veteran of two tours of Afghanistan and MFT’s Petawawa area representative. “But a lot of veterans have reason to use marijuana so why hide behind closed doors when it’s perfectly legal.”
With the help of outside specialists, MFT also teaches marijuana management, holds yoga and meditation sessions and social events where veterans meet and interact with peers.
The Ontario headquarters opened this past spring in Markham and the response, said MFT Ontario vice-president Andrew Brown, has been “incredible.”
The majority of veterans they are seeing are from the Bosnia era.
“That’s been a surprise,” he said. “I guess the average age is just shy of 50.”
PTSD sufferer D’Andrea, who took part MFT outreach sessions at the Centennial Flame on Thursday, with Brown and Ontario MFT president Chris Dupee, said medical marijuana had transformed him from a basement hermit into a functioning person.
“It’s given me the motivation to do renovations and cleaning around the house,” he said. “I can be outside and in shopping centres and it’s improved my domestic life. I don’t abuse it. I like to be in control.
“Veterans who use medical marijuana don’t get high,” he added.
D’Andrea said he expects MFT will tap into a significant need around the Petawawa and Pembroke area where the mainstream system is missing many veterans in need of help.
“A lot of people stay in the area when they get out of the military,’ he said.
Some veterans on prescription drugs for their mental and physical disabilities are finding medical marijuana a more effective alternative, said Dupee.
“Nobody is coming to us as a first option,” he said. “They’ve been doped up with pills and unable to function. Pills make you numb. At peer nights, guys have been telling us that the medical marijuana is starting to help them feel (their emotions) again.”
Helping veterans with the myriad of paper work is proving an important and popular piece of MFT’s work, said Brown.
“When you’re in the military all of that responsibility is taken away from you,” he said. “Somebody fills out the forms, hands them to you and you sign where they tell you to sign.
“Even though it allows them to access what they are entitled to,” he added, “injured veterans just can’t or won’t fill forms. We take the burden off them.”
Key for some veterans, he said, is that “when a veteran contacts MFT, a veteran answers.”
