Killeen, Texas — Anyone diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder will have access to medical marijuana after the state’s compassionate use program was expanded on September 1. PTSD was just one of the conditions added to the expansion by state legislators during the regular session.
A desert storm veteran in Killeen, Texas, David Bass admits cannabis on his recovery journey through PTSD. He served in the Army for 25 years and was dispatched to Iraq from 2004 to 2005. His time there made a big difference in his life.
“It was a much fierce battle for the 1st Cavalry Division to be deployed in Iraq. We suffered serious casualties,” he recalls, focusing on his traumatic experience abroad. He added that it is only acceptable by hitting.
“This is what I dreamed of in Iraq. It’s a place where you can relax safely, everything is quiet and peaceful, and you don’t have to worry about rockets falling out of the sky,” he said. Wind chimes from the entire state hang from the tree.
When he returned, he began working to realize his dream and built a patio that served as his safe space. Except for the fear of Iraq, it will not be so easily subdued.
“When I returned to Fort Hood in 2005, I started to notice strange symptoms,” he said.
He had nightmares, an outburst of anger, and vibrant flashbacks, textbook symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. He started treatment immediately, but the treatment was more harmful.
“It’s ironic that the side effects of some psychotropic drugs are suicidal ideation, and they are supposed to help post-traumatic stress disorders,” Bass said.
He says the drug made him feel empty and different from himself. A few years later, Bass says he desperately searched online for another solution and found a community of veterans who returned to the Vietnam War in 2012, vowing to sedate marijuana. That year he started self-medication.
“The choice was cannabis or pills, and we chose cannabis,” he said, pointing out that he chose to reluctantly because cannabis was illegal at the time. Since then, he has been driving serious cannabis reforms at the Texas Capitol by sharing his story with lawmakers. Slowly, reforms have progressed in bipartisan efforts as recently as this year. This includes the addition of PTSD and all forms of cancer. Legislators have made other changes to the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP for short).
“There is also a change in the composition of the formulation. Previously it was limited to 0.5% THC, but it has increased to 1% THC. People can still access the same amount of THC, but they can simply take it. Because of the low carrier oil per milligram of THC, there are several doses of 10 milligrams per milligram that are considered “standard,” explains Jacks Finkel of Texas NORML. state.
Proponents like Finkel are keen to expand TCUP for the rest of the time since the latest special legislative session.
“I’m a little sad because there were a lot of patients who weren’t included in programs like ours, where Congress has set the conditions, such as those living with chronic pain and traumatic brain injury. Veterans also have ulcerative colitis, but IBS like this has beneficial side effects for cannabis, “Finkel said.
Proponents say that including PTSD as a qualifying condition is a small win, albeit overdue. Bass says he will not change anything about the sequence of events to this day.
“Man, if I’m reborn, I think the first thing I do is go to the recruiter office and find an army,” he said.
Bass says he is pleased with the progress made in cannabis reform over the last six years and hopes that further reforms are underway.