Veterans and Medical Marijuana with Stephen Mandile

This episode, Massachusetts Army National Guard combat veteran and Uxbridge Selectman Sgt. Stephen Mandile joins Brit to discuss how cannabis helped him ditch dozens of pharmaceutical drugs from the VA, how he almost lost his benefits because of his advocacy for marijuana, and to discuss the latest news on his two bills that would expand access to medical marijuana for military veterans in Massachusetts. Many U.S. military veterans who want to access medical marijuana are still facing barriers, including finances, stigma, and fear of losing their benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs if they admit to their doctor that they use weed. Veterans are also a group that often face medical issues that cannabis has proven extremely helpful for, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, insomnia, and pain.