--- title: "The American Legion wants medical marijuana research for veterans" date: "2020-02-05" modified: "2020-10-30" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/the-american-legion-calls-for-medical-marijuana-research-for-veterans/" categories: - "Mental Health" - "Military News" - "Veterans" --- # The American Legion wants medical marijuana research for veterans ![]() The American Legion is calling on Congress to reconsider its position on marijuana, asking lawmakers to remove the drug from Schedule 1 of the federal Controlled Substances Act and reclassify it as a drug with "potential medical value." --- ![]() *(American Legion Photo by Amy C. Elliott)* In [a resolution passed at the 98th National Convention of the American Legion]() on Sept. 1, the Legion's Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Convention Committee unanimously recommended the delegates pass a resolution urging the DEA to "license privately-funded medical marijuana production operations in the United States to enable safe and efficient cannabis drug development research." Officials with the American Legion say there's some evidence marijuana helps in the treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD. Research conducted by the Legion's Ad Hoc Committee on TBI/PTSD found that the conditions cost the economy $60 billion. "The response of the membership has been very positive," says William Detweiler, the chairman of the Legion's Ad Hoc Committee on TBI/PTSD. "Our veterans deserve the best medical care that we can offer. We believe that funding additional medical research in this field will provide another 'tool' in the physician's toolbox for treatment." In 2011, the Ad Hoc Committee was formed to look into the issues surrounding the treatment of veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress. The goal was to determine what treatments are being employed by VA and DoD currently and what other treatments and protocols that may be available that are not being currently used or approved. Schedule 1 of the federal Controlled Substances Act includes drugs like marijuana, heroin, and LSD while Schedule 2 includes oxycodone, morphine, and Ritalin. Now that the national convention passed the resolution supporting medical marijuana research for veterans with certain conditions, the National Commander of the American Legion and the staff can urge Congress and the DEA to provide funds for research on medical cannabis. Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Nadja West said marijuana is still an illegal drug and soldiers using it will face discipline, but she sees some benefit to using chemicals within pot to treat PTSD and TBI. "Using marijuana has a lot of adverse health effects, it's surprising that's not brought out when they're trying to legalize it. ... It's more dangerous that some of the carcinogens that are in tobacco," West said during a media roundtable in Washington. "But if there's some component of \[marijuana\] that can be useful to treat our service members, anyone who has post-traumatic stress disorder ... I'm for that." The American Legion did not survey the 2.4 million veterans it represents to find their feelings on medical marijuana but has found their constituents to be generally receptive to the idea. "Veterans are exhausted and feel like guinea pigs; they're getting desperate," said Dr. Sue Sisley, a researcher from Arizona who spoke at the Legion's National Convention. "It's a big breakthrough. While I can't say definitively that medical marijuana works for PTSD – we are three years away from published data – we owe it to veterans to study this plant." ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()