The Rolling Thunder's First Amendment Demonstration Run, a massive motorcycle event that takes place in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day, has partnered up with the Veterans Cannabis Project to advocate for easier access to medical marijuana for veterans, Stars And Stripes reports.
The ride is the final one for the Rolling Thunder organization, which was founded in 1987 and raises awareness for American military Prisoners of War, Missing in Action and veterans' issues.
Veterans Cannabis will host a free barbecue and a concert Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET at the Harley-Davidson of Washington, D.C., in Fort Washington, Md.
VA providers are not permitted to recommend marijuana or assist veterans in obtaining it, since the Food and Drug Administration classifies it as a Schedule One controlled substance, making it illegal in the eyes of the U.S. government.
Veterans, though, are not denied VA benefits because of marijuana use.
Veterans Cannabis Project, an Oregon nonprofit dedicated to supporting military veterans and improving their quality of life through increased access to medical cannabis, is pushing for Congress to declassify marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs.
"We know that chronic pain and [post-traumatic stress disorder] are two major contributing factors to veteran suicides, and we know that medical cannabis can be a much safer and even more effective treatment than the cocktail of pills the VA often prescribes us," Doug Distaso, director of Veterans Cannabis Project, said in a news release.
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