Veterans’ Restless Nights & Cannabis: What the Latest Research Says About Sleep and Dreams
This article is for education only—it’s not medical advice. Always talk with a licensed clinician about your treatment decisions. VeteransDesk.org is brand-neutral: we don’t endorse products or vendors, and we never collect protected health information (PHI). Many veterans struggle with sleep—whether from chronic pain, being on constant alert, or intrusive memories that won’t fade. As […]
Locked Out of Relief: How Federal Cannabis Policy Harms Veterans and What Must Change
Introduction For the millions of U.S. military veterans living with chronic pain, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and anxiety, the promise of medical cannabis has been both a lifeline and a legal minefield. Despite the growing body of evidence supporting its use and the legalization of medical cannabis in 38 states and Washington, D.C., veterans under […]
Osteopathic Doctors Are Poised to Lead: What the New VA Cannabis Legislation Means for Veterans and Mendry
Introduction On July 6, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a groundbreaking amendment to the VA budget bill that marks a monumental shift in how veterans may access medical cannabis. This historic provision—originating from the Veterans Equal Access Act—will allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors, for the first time, to recommend cannabis to […]
Why Osteopathic Doctors Are the Medical Cannabis Care Manager of Choice for Veterans
In the evolving landscape of veteran healthcare, one fact is increasingly clear: veterans deserve more than prescriptions—they deserve personalized, comprehensive care. Medical cannabis has emerged as a powerful tool for managing chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety, and insomnia. But navigating cannabis care safely and effectively requires more than a prescription—it requires a trusted provider who understands […]
Surgical-Recovery Medical-Cannabis Care Managers (SR-MCCMs): Integrating Cannabinoid Science, Post-Op Protocols, and Social Reality
1. Post-Operative Pain and the Opioid Dilemma Even with minimally invasive techniques, 80 % of surgical patients leave the hospital on opioids, and up to 10 % still take them three months later—a key pathway to long-term dependence.¹ Enhanced-Recovery-After-Surgery (ERAS) protocols have introduced regional blocks, acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and gabapentinoids, yet breakthrough pain and poor sleep […]
Medical Cannabis & Chronic Pain: A 2025 Road-Map for Veterans—With a Medical-Cannabis Care Manager (MCCM) Riding Shotgun
1 | The Pain Puzzle—And Why So Many Veterans Are Looking to the Plant Combat rucks, body-armor pressure points, blast waves, and month-long patrols leave marks that linger long after discharge. Surveys show that about one-third to nearly one-half of post-9/11 service members and veterans report chronic pain, far higher than their civilian peers. (rand.org) Arthritis alone […]
Medical-Cannabis Care Managers & Mindfulness-Based Care: Science, Practice, and Social Reach
1. Why Cannabis + Meditation Appeared on Clinicians’ Radar Chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, irritable-bowel flares—these are the top four reasons adults seek medical cannabis cards. Each is modulated not only by peripheral nociceptive signals but also by attention, catastrophizing, and the appraisal circuits of the medial prefrontal cortex.1 At the same time, mindfulness-based stress reduction […]
Exercise Medical-Cannabis Care Managers: Pioneering a Unique Convergence of Movement Science And Cannabinoid Stewardship
1 | Why Pair Cannabis Stewardship With Exercise Programming? Exercise alleviates pain, lowers systemic inflammation, improves mood, and enhances cardiometabolic health. Carefully dosed medical-cannabis regimens can achieve many of those same outcomes, especially pain relief, sleep restoration, and anxiety reduction, through completely different biochemical pathways. When these two interventions run in parallel, early pilot data […]