Weed for Warriors Project for Military Veterans Safe Access

The Weed For Warriors Project (WFWP) is dedicated to promoting holistic rehabilitation among veterans through community-driven initiatives, advocacy, and education. Written by Randy Villarba.

In a remarkable demonstration of compassion and solidarity, March and Ash joined forces with the Weed For Warriors Project (WFWP) to embark on a transformative collaboration. Together, they have launched the WFWP x March and Ash Supply Drop project, which seeks to provide military veterans with safe and essential access to cannabis.

This initiative stands as a testament to the power of collective effort. Cannabis companies from across California have rallied to donate these much-needed alternatives to medicines, bringing welcomed relief and hope to those who have bravely served our nation. Through this remarkable partnership, we aim to honor and support our veterans in their quest for improved health and well-being.

Partnering up with many of your favorite California cannabis brands like American Weed Company, Blem, Kiva, THC Design, Farmer and the Felon and ABX, the WFWP and March and Ash have been able to fill our donation bags for our veterans. Every Supply Drop, all military veterans with a medicinal marijuana card are able to pick up a bag filled with the alternatives to medicine they need: flower, vapes, concentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicals.

WFWP Are on a Mission

The Weed For Warriors Project (WFWP) is a socially conscious lifestyle brand dedicated to promoting holistic rehabilitation among veterans through a multifaceted approach encompassing community-driven initiatives, proactive advocacy for their well-being, cannabis education, and a strong commitment to compassion. WFWP serves as a catalyst for change, championing the empowerment of individuals.

Established in 2014, the Weed For Warriors Project has a singular mission: to champion the rights of veterans by advocating to the Veteran Affairs Administration on their behalf. WFWP proudly voices the concerns of veterans to the politicians in Sacramento and Washington DC. They are the voice of our veterans seeking alternatives to medicines prescribed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Department of Defense.

WFWP Are on a Mission

At its core, WFWP seeks to ensure that veterans have the freedom to utilize medical marijuana as a legitimate and recognized medical alternative to potentially harmful psychiatric medications, free from discrimination or unjust actions against any individual.

How Prop 64 Was a Step Backwards For Safe Access

“Cannabis access saves lives and Prop 64 has had a horrible impact on patients who rely on cannabis in the state of California,” explains Sean Kienran. “Providing access is a dual front battle.”

“Before 64 was passed in 2016 we relied on Proposition 215 which was passed ironically enough with the help of Air Force Veteran Dennis Peron. In 1996 he brought us medical cannabis and that allowed people, patients who had a medical rec to access cannabis, grow cannabis and participate in the cannabis community as a medicine. And that was the beauty of Prop 215.”

How Prop 64 Was a Step Backwards For Safe Access

Prop 64 Made Things More Difficult for Veterans

“That dramatically changed because Prop 64 made cannabis about two interested parties, “said Kiernan. The government via tax coffers [the funds of a government]. We promised huge tax revenue increases to both local communities [and the state].”

Kiernan continued about the inequity of how California distributed cannabis licenses also hinders safe access, He explained that the current license distribution in California does not properly serve a state of 45 million people.

Prop 64 Made Things More Difficult for Veterans

“By comparison, Colorado has over 1,100 licenses for 5.7 million people. We would have to have over 10,000 retail licenses just to have the brick and mortar access that Colorado has. We have witnessed from Prop 215 to Prop 64, the destruction of safe access for veterans.

These hindrances are two pronged. First geographically, as over 70% of the state [of California] does not have safe access to cannabis. Secondly the cost has skyrocketed. Your average military veteran that is consuming cannabis medically has to spend around 40% of their disability allotment in order to receive the medication they need.”

Kiernan continues about how Prop 64 made things more difficult for our veterans.

“Ironically we were given adult use and we took what was legally available in 100% of the state and took it down to 70% give or take. That is 70% of the state where you can’t access legal cannabis.”

Donations to Veterans via SB-34

Senate Bill 34 (SB-34), also recognized as the Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Act, gave compassion programs a new lifeline by granting cannabis enterprises the ability to make tax-free donations of cannabis to economically disadvantaged medicinal patients.

“If you like what we are doing, please support those people who support us. Not only the veterans and consumers. Go to those dispensaries that are supporting us. Use those brands that are supporting us. "

Donations to Veterans via SB-34

"Use your pocket book to really start making a vote to change how we act on the corporate side and drive the help and marketing dollars towards compassion. That’s the only way we are going to make this as big as we can. By really letting everyone know that there is a win-win in it for everyone. Please support the people who are supporting the veteran and patient community through SB-34.”

“At the end of the day we are going to stay true to access. That’s what this is about to all of us. It’s about access. It’s about the availability of cannabis to use as a substitute to big pharma."

"The VA’s opiates, the VA’s psych meds, both of which come with FDA stated risks of addiction, overdose and suicidal ideation. Is there any wonder there is a suicide and overdose epidemic?"

Raising Veteran Suicide Awareness

Our military veterans are being prescribed medications that have well-documented side effects, which unfortunately worsen depression, contribute to opioid dependency, and elevate the risk of suicide. Despite constituting just 7% of the American population, veterans tragically account for an alarmingly disproportionate 20% of the national suicide rate. Shockingly, an estimated 22 veterans lose their lives to suicide every day. The Weed For Warriors Project (WFWP) finds these statistics deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable.

The current support and medication programs available to our veterans have proven ineffective in addressing this dire crisis. WFWP firmly believes that cannabis has the potential to offer a solution. WFWP’s mission is to harness the therapeutic properties of this life-saving plant to restore veterans' self-assurance, nurture their mental well-being, and enable them to reclaim normal, healthy lives once more.

“Let’s get cannabis in the community,” said Kieran. “Because where cannabis is available, guess what? Suicides are lower, overdoses are lower and that’s the science. At the end of the day it’s not even a medicine. It is a safer alternative."

"It is our Narcan and we deserve a right to use it. We deserve a right to access it. It’s a human right. The need of government’s tax revenue and the need for corporate cannabis to get outsized gains to pay for the outsized promises they made to the investment community should not trump our right to life.”

Weed For Warriors Cannabis

Weed For Warriors Project have also released their own line of cannabis and live resin extracts. Their focus is to be able to offer affordable and effective options for their fellow veterans.

“Weed For Warriors Cannabis on March and Ash’s shelves is about delivering affordable and quality medicine to patients on a mass scale,” said Kiernan.

“No other mechanism on earth has the power of free markets to deliver what the people want at prices they can afford. Our efforts for 2024 need to focus on lowering the burden of absurd taxation and ineffective regulation that is simply moving supply and demand to the unlicensed market.”

Weed For Warriors Cannabis

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