| Grow4Vets.com |
Suicide and drug overdose deaths are major issues facing the veteran community in this country, and too often vets fall through the cracks without any help or support. Operation Grow4Vets hopes to change that one person at a time by offering free marijuana, pot-infused foods and growing equipment to Colorado veterans.
“If we, as a nation, are truly committed to helping American heroes live healthy and productive lives after they have been wounded or injured protecting our freedom and way of life, it is imperative that we stop killing veterans by forcing them to take dangerous and often deadly prescription drug cocktails,” said Roger Martin, executive director of Operation Grow4Vets. “We are morally obligated to provide them with a safer alternative.”
Using Colorado’s marijuana laws that allow people to give away up to an ounce of cannabis at a time to adults 21 and up, the group says they will begin distributing the herb to any veterans undergoing treatment at a VA facility. Organizers say that private donations and corporate sponsors have made the project possible.
Martin says that the Veterans Administration routinely fails to deliver the level of care needed by soldiers returning from battle.
“Operation Grow4Vets believes in serving those who have served us, something that neither the Colorado Legislature nor the VA seem willing to do,” Martin tells Denver’s KDVR. “Until such time as the VA decides to honor their commitment to provide veterans with the best medical treatment options available, Operation Grow4Vets is proud to take the lead in offering veterans a safer and more compassionate treatment option.”
The group also plans to help vets find jobs in the cannabis industry.
To enoll in the program or for more information, visit grow4vets.org
. Due to the illegality of cannabis elsewhere in the country, the program is only open to Colorado residents.