Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump believes military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are weak excuses for human beings—spewing harsh comments on Monday night that suggest a Trump administration would not support policy changes within the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow those who have served our country in times of war to have access to medical marijuana.
Last night in Virginia, during a Q&A session for the newly established Retired American Warriors PAC, Trump, a documented draft dodger, suggested that only veterans who are not “strong” return from combat under the illusion that they have been plagued by this severe anxiety disorder.
“When you talk about the mental health problems, when people come back from war and combat ,and they see things that maybe a lot of the folks in the room have seen many times over, and you’re strong and you can handle it, but a lot of people can’t handle it,” Trump said, adding that he plans to fix some of the internal problems with the VA.
Some of the latest statistics show that somewhere around 20 percent of the veterans who fought in Iran and Afghanistan are now plagued with PTSD or severe depression. Another 20 percent of them returned home with a traumatic brain injury.
Incidentally, medical marijuana has been shown to calm the symptoms of these debilitating conditions.
Seventeen states with medical marijuana laws on the books allow people with PTSD to use cannabis.
Although Trump has previously stated that he supports medical marijuana “100 percent,” his latest comments could be an indication that he plans to turn his back on the veterans when it comes to giving them the freedom to use medical marijuana.
As it stands, the Department of Veterans Affairs will not even allow its physicians to discuss cannabis medicine with their patients—putting thousands of men and women who once stood in the trenches to protect the American way of life at risk for prescription opioid abuse and even overdose death.
To make matters worse, federal lawmakers have been unsuccessful at passing a temporary amendment aimed at allowing veterans to get their hands on medical marijuana.
Just last week, a government spending package intended to keep Uncle Sam operational until the beginning of December was signed into law by President Obama without a provision designed to allow veterans living in medical marijuana states to participate in their respective programs. The measure, which received approval in both the House and Senate earlier this year, ultimately met its demise at the hands of a back room conference committee—a sign that Republican domination on Capitol Hill is jamming up progress on this issue.
Interestingly, hours after Trump opened his mouth to bash veterans with PTSD, the White House, which has done nothing over the past eight years to pressure the VA to give veterans access to medical marijuana, came running to their defense.
“It is not a sign of weakness to get help,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement. “In fact, it’s a sign of character and a sign of strength to ensure that you’re taking care of yourself.”
However, until the federal government decides once and for all to loosen some of the restrictions surrounding marijuana, many veterans who want to “take care” of themselves will not be able to do so in a manner that has been deemed safer than loading up on prescription drugs.
According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 21 million veterans living in the United States. So it stands to reason that any presidential hopeful looking to take control of the White House in 2017 would benefit from supporting policies that protect the best interest of our vets.
Allowing veterans to have medical marijuana without the risk of repercussions is certainly an issue both candidates should be considering.
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Piss on you Mike Adams! Your NoBamanite spin holds no sway here. I bet you’re not even a vet yourself so you have no business even commenting on what was said or wasn’t said…
Trump is week minded. He is theoretically vying for their votes and proceeds to insult all of them.
I read the account on multiple news outlets and came to the same conclusion as Mike. He was there to work his con. Donald Trump is only interested in veterans when they vote, screw them any other time. Trump has NO business speaking to veterans – NONE! His history of ripping off the people he’s hired to work for him is well documented and many of those folks were vets. He takes full advantage of the benefits of hiring veterans but stiffs them when it comes time to pay them. Trump is the epitome of what is vile and despicable about humanity. He’s a smug, pinched faced, orange coiffed goblin. Running down veterans who suffer from PTSD as not being ‘strong’ is a cruel insult to every person who has worn the uniform of the US military. Experiencing the horrors of war can be just as devastating as an IED. Anyone who believes Trump is qualified to be president is an ignorant, self-centered fool.
And I am a vet. US Navy 1984-1988 Seventh Fleet.
3 out of the 4 vets I know disagree with you.
Funny, because up here at Joint Base Lewis-McChord nobody supports trump. They all see him for the worthless con he is, and nobody growing supports his anti pot ass either. Get real: Trump is a con and MOST Americans do not support his bigotted anti american ass.
Think you mean Hillary. Actions speak lounder than words, did you learn that from Obama?
Wow….. just wow. At this point I think Hillary and the Donald are just trying to one up each other on who can insult the larger number of potential voters.
Fuck Donald Trump. He should not be president at all. Bernie was a
better candidate but he got fucked in the ass so now where stuck with a
turd sandwich and a douche.
Context context context. Instead of reading other people’s spin and what they want Trump to say, how about watching the actual video? Trump said yes right off the bat and without hesitation to the guts wuestion. A long question but it included more holistic approaches to helping vets. And when Trump says about what people can and can’t handle, he was sympathetically referring to the horrors of war, NOT PTSD.
Some of you want so badly to find things wrong that you create problems where none are by trying to parse the hell out of words and butcher contexts. Both candidates have said plenty of real stuff that’s stupid. No need to invent.
Stop listening to talking heads and always check the source.
Hillary is a career liar and opportunist. She’s also clearly physically weak. The Bush years should have made it obvious that political dynasties suck. We don’t need a Clinton crime dynasty now.
If you vote, vote anyone but Hillary. How many have died because of her? Because of her being for the war in Iraq, because of her stealing money from haiti that was so desperately needed after that earthquake, because of all the pay to play crap, Benghazi, and so many more skeletons in the Clinton dynasty closet. How can anyone with a straight face even consider such a criminal and liar. Such just shames the U.S. before the whole world.
Just watch the Clinton Cash documentary or read the book. It’s like watching how they have lied about Cannabis over the decades. Different story, same old b.s.
SHHH!! That will break the sheep mentality people are so comfortable with.
Believe what you will,but Cannabis does heal things nothing has,but the DEA doesn’t want it legalized.Let’s try to change their mind,actually trying to contol every thing they can about us,they need to put all their men and you’ll see they’re dead,going blind or aleady blind! Go after Those who cook Meth,Cocaine,then put them in jail,for life NO PAROLE,they don’t deserve to ever be free,,any one who thinks they should,put them in the cell next to them.
Way to twist his words. Mean hightimes is to busy covering up for Chelsea Clinton suggesting weed kills you.
Yea, cherry picking quotes and writing an article bashing someone is real great journalism. You are a fucking worthless writer…maybe you should go see if your local Starbucks is in need of a barista, you’d be a lot better off there. Shame on you Hightimes, this kind of bullshit should have been fact checked before being released.
Donald Trump is a bigoted jerk! He has been trying to get their support and he turns on them like this? I will tell Trump to take a long walk off of a short pier. This chump is no friend to the military. Keep this in mind as you vote!
tRump insults everyone and then expects us to vote for him? He is a rip off artist as well as a bigot who will say anything. Not only does he insults different groups of people but he doesn’t pay people who have worked for him, he stiffs you and there isn’t anything you can do. So sue him? Hes got so many suits against him it isn’t funny. He uses his own charity as his piggy bank and doesn’t pay any taxes and then has the gull to use our highways and airports? This man hasn’t any principles and he’d probably stiff all of us stoners with that fat guy named Christie as AG. At least Hillary has a pot agenda in her platform because of Bernie who by the way is the best person for President. But the Democrats didn’t pick him to head the party. But Hillary is, by far the best person for President. Also vote out all those meat heads that are Republicans.