Multistate cannabis operator, Curaleaf revealed its new Arizona initiative with the Veterans Cannabis Project (VCP) this week.
VCP is a nonprofit organization that advocates for medicinal cannabis access for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
A new special edition pre-roll package will be available to patients at all five Curaleaf locations in Arizona, with a portion of proceeds from sales going to VCP.
Each package contains five pre-rolls and will sell for $16. The product will be available from other cannabis operators later in 2019.
On Thursday, veterans and others gathered at the Curaleaf Midtown dispensary on North Central Avenue in Phoenix for the launch of a national petition and a grassroots campaign urging Congress, the President, and the VA to allow veterans to have safe and legal access to cannabis as a treatment option.
“There are veterans suffering from chronic pain and PTSD every day in the state of Arizona,” said Curaleaf Arizona President, Steve Cotrell at the Thursday event. “We are proud to be able to support veterans and help them live better lives with medical cannabis. With this partnership with the VCP, we hope to educate and help more veterans who might benefit from medical cannabis.”
Arizona scientist behind the first FDA-approved study of PTSD in veterans, Dr. Sue Sisley, spoke to attendees about her research and how cannabis has allowed many to lead fuller lives but said that there is currently a lack of extensive research on the subject.
According to the VCP petition, veterans are twice as likely as civilians to die from an opioid overdose, and twenty commit suicide daily.
Medical cannabis has been shown to be a safe treatment option for many veterans, but because VA is a federal healthcare system, vets risk losing hard-earned medical benefits if they use marijuana, even in states where it is legal for medicinal use.
Curaleaf initially launched the VCP initiative earlier this year in Maryland and will continue to roll out the program at their other dispensaries across the United States.
