America's struggle with caring for its military veterans is a well-documented disgrace. Combat veterans are more likely to be homeless, addicted to drugs, and suicidal than civilians. And with half of veterans suffering from chronic pain, opiate use is soaring.
For years, veterans self-medicating with cannabis swore that the plant brought relief that prescription pills and opiates simply did not (in a twist, ex-soldiers may be consuming some of the very poppies they saw in Afghanistan). Earlier this year, following a lengthy delay, the federal government approved a University of Arizona researcher's efforts to study marijuana's efficacy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.
The study was to begin this summer. It won't, now that the researcher, Dr. Suzanne Sisley, has been fired from her position at the university. It's no coincidence: Sisley claims her support for researching cannabis's medical potential got her canned.