Why Veterans Lists VA Approved Community Care Providers First
Why Veterans Lists VA Approved Community Care Providers First Directory Standards, Who Benefits, and How Enrollment Coordinators Fit In Veterans was created by veterans and is run by veterans because we’ve lived the same Community Care frustration: referrals that stall, mixed answers, and “call back next week” loops when you’re simply trying to get care, […]
Cannabis Use Disorder, DNA, and Veterans’ Medical Cannabis Care for PTSD: What We Know and How To Move Forward
Why this matters now More veterans are exploring medical cannabis for chronic pain, sleep, and trauma-related symptoms. At the same time, daily use has climbed nationally, and with it, concern about cannabis use disorder (CUD)—a pattern of use that causes clinically significant impairment or distress. Public-health agencies estimate that roughly 3 in 10 people who […]
Mendry’s Role – Clearly Stated: Veteran Education on State-Legal Medical Cannabis, Without Clinical Services
What Mendry does What Mendry does not do For veterans: how to use Mendry’s education-only materials Necessary: Mendry cannot review your case, contact your doctor, or store your records. We exist to educate, not to manage care. For osteopathic physicians (educational perspective, not medical direction) Osteopathic physicians practicing within state law often emphasize whole-person care, […]
The Hidden Cost of Pain Denial in Veterans
Introduction Pain is more than just a symptom—it’s your body sending a message. For Veterans, that message is often layered: physical pain from training, injuries, or combat, and emotional pain from the weight of service. But in military culture, pain is often treated as something to ignore, push through, or deny. Silence becomes a badge […]
Osteopathic Physicians, VA Policy, and Medical Cannabis: What 2025 Proposals Could Mean for Veterans
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Current VA policy: VA clinicians can talk with you about cannabis use and document it in your record. Your care will not be denied because of cannabis use. What VA providers cannot do under current rules is prescribe cannabis or fill out state certification paperwork (VHA Directive 1315; VA public […]
Federal Cannabis Policy & Veterans (2025): Access, Rules, and What Could Change
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Here’s where things stand today: VA clinicians can talk with Veterans about cannabis use and record it in the medical chart. Importantly, care is not denied if a Veteran uses cannabis. That said, VA clinicians currently do not prescribe cannabis or complete state certification forms under existing policy (VHA Directive […]
Veterans and Caregivers: Osteopathic Cannabis Care
How VA Community Care Fits—Step-by-Step Short version: Your very first visit with a qualified, state-authorized osteopathic physician (DO) will almost always be out-of-pocket. That’s because VA cannot certify patients for state medical cannabis programs or pay for cannabis itself. After that initial certification, though, many veterans continue follow-up care with a DO for conditions like […]
How Expanded Medical Cannabis Access Impacts Texas Veterans with PTSD and Chronic Pain
What Texas Changed (HB 46) Texas passed HB 46, the most significant update to the Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) since its start in 2015. Effective September 1, 2025, the law brings these key changes: Bottom line: HB 46 isn’t just about adding diagnoses—it reshapes eligibility, dosing, delivery, and supply so clinicians can better match products […]
Exercise + Osteopathic Care + Cannabis Literacy
What this guide addresses—plain languageVeterans Desk Many Veterans live with chronic pain, poor sleep, and limits on daily tasks like driving, lifting, standing, or carrying. Exercise is often recommended, but pain, fatigue, uncertainty, or even billing hassles can make it hard to stick with. This guide organizes three key elements—osteopathic medical care, exercise planning, and […]
Pediatric Medical-Cannabis Care Managers—and Where Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fits
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) For a small number of pediatric seizure disorders, a purified cannabidiol (CBD) medicine—Epidiolex—has FDA approval (Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex). Beyond these conditions, top pediatric organizations urge caution when it comes to cannabis use in children and adolescents. Because state rules vary and families often face mountains […]