Military veterans are among those people most helped when states enact medical cannabis laws. For example, many states allow treating PTSD with medical cannabis. Utah is one of them. Then there are also veterans who suffer with chronic pain and other conditions that can be helped. Guess what? It really is helping.
Recent study data indicates that a significant percentage of veterans who use medical cannabis enjoy a better quality of life. Not only that, but the research shows that many of them are also using medical cannabis as opposed to prescription medications and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. It is hard to find anything negative in that.
Medical Cannabis and Quality of Life
Few in the medical cannabis movement have ever seriously declared that cannabis is a cure for anything. There have been a few people on the fringe who have made such claims, but most advocates understand that medical cannabis is more about improving the quality of life and curing disease.
That is crucial to understanding the implications of the previously mentioned study conducted by researchers at the University of Utah and the University of Massachusetts. They surveyed more than 500 veterans who reported using medical cannabis. The goal was to better understand individual experiences as well as their purposes for choosing to consume.
Here are some interesting numbers from the study:
- 67% report using cannabis daily.
- 30% report using cannabis to reduce consumption of other medications.
- 25% reduce antidepressant consumption with cannabis.
- 21% reduce opioid consumption with cannabis.
- 17% reduce anti-inflammatory consumption with cannabis.
All those numbers are great. Yet at the end of the day, the most startling statistic is this: 91% of the veterans reported that cannabis improves their quality of life. That number covers all demographics – race, sex, active combat status, etc.
If You Qualify for a Card
If you are a military veteran and you qualify for a card, obtaining one opens the door to medical cannabis products that could literally revolutionize your life. State law includes chronic pain, PTSD, and other conditions common with military veterans on the qualifying conditions list.
Even if you aren’t a military veteran, medical cannabis might be the medication you’ve been looking for. We encourage you to check the qualifying conditions list on the state medical cannabis website or speak to your medical provider about your condition.
Obtaining a card would give you the opportunity to visit our medical cannabis dispensaries in either Salt Lake City or Brigham City. You could browse our entire selection of cannabis products, including vapes, gummies, topical products, dry herb products, and tinctures. You can also speak with our on-site pharmacist to get sound advice about delivery and dosage.
Getting a Card Is Not Difficult
Whether you are a military veteran or not, you should know that getting a medical cannabis card in Utah isn’t difficult. The first step is to visit a qualified medical provider (QMP) or limited medical provider (LMP) for a complete medical evaluation. You and your medical provider complete your respective portions of the online application. Then you pay your fee and wait for your card to be delivered electronically.
As long as you have been diagnosed with a qualifying condition and your medical provider agrees that medical cannabis is the most appropriate way to treat you at the current time, approval should not be an issue.
Medical cannabis could improve your quality of life substantially. It is already proving to do just that for hundreds of military veterans who not only find relief with cannabis but are also able to reduce their consumption of other medications. The results speak for themselves.
