| Cannabis’s Schedule I status under the Controlled Substances Act doesn’t do the industry many favors—and it also restricts veterans’ access to medical cannabis. Cannabis Business Times Managing Editor Patrick Williams recently caught up with Bryan Buckley, U.S. Marine veteran and founder of both Helmand Valley Growers Co., a service-disabled veteran-owned cannabis processor and manufacturer, and 501(c)3 nonprofit Battle Brothers Foundation. As Williams reported this week, Buckley and the Battle Brothers team are launching an observational study addressing veteran cannabis use with Israeli American medical data and research company NiaMedic, with study-review support from University of California, Irvine Health. In 2021, the study of how cannabis use can alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among veterans received approval from an independent committee that reviews research ethics. “We truly believe we’re going to change the medical landscape here in the next five years or so,” Buckley said. Also joining the fight for change is Cannabis Center of Excellence, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that launched a research project to identify the ways in which U.S. veterans use medical cannabis. As Digital Editor Eric Sandy reported in August, the project set out to determine where gaps might exist for veterans interested in accessing legal cannabis products in the state—and whether there may be opportunities to improve their lot. And, as Williams reported in September, grants from the state of Michigan are funding research into if cannabis can treat mental health conditions, such as PTSD, and if it can prevent veteran suicide. Between 2021 and 2022, Michigan has announced funding for research conducted by scientists at Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. “I think we need to be doing everything we can to help our veterans, and it’s going to take some innovative and novel kinds of approaches to treatment,” Dr. Leslie Lundahl, associate professor and clinical psychologist in Wayne State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, told Williams. “We need to improve treatments; we need to come up with new treatments.” -Melissa Schiller, Senior Digital Editor | 