Veterans for 64
Veterans for 64
Veterans from across Colorado have formed a group in support of Amendment 64, the initiative on this year's ballot to regulate marijuana like alcohol, in response to state officials' second denial of a petition to add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of qualifying conditions medical marijuana.
As a result, veterans and other individuals who suffer from PTSD are still subject to criminal penalties if they use marijuana to alleviate their suffering, despite significant evidence demonstrating its effectiveness. For example, a medical advisory committee with the New Mexico Department of Health recommended in 2009 that PTSD be added to the state's list of qualifying conditions. And in 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs formally announced that it would allow patients treated at its hospitals and clinics to use medical marijuana in states where it is legal.
Passage of Amendment 64 would ensure that Coloradans 21 and older who suffer from PTSD are no longer subject to arrest and prosecution for using marijuana. Our brave soldiers – and the many non-soldiers who suffer from PTSD – deserve legal and safe access to marijuana, which has been proven to be therapeutically effective in treating this condition.