Military vets now get discounts at some local medical marijuana shops

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — More and more, military veterans are turning to medical marijuana for relief of a plethora of symptoms.

As people who have endure so much and seen so many things, a high percentage of veterans either has suffered wounds while fighting for their country or come back home with PTSD from combat.

Steve Creedon, a Vietnam vet, served in the Navy during the war and suffered a life-changing injury when he was barely out of his teens.

"I was drafted into the military two weeks after I graduated from high school," said Creedon. "We were working on a connection in the engine compartment and it took my shoe and a piece of my foot off."

Now, at the age of 67, Creedon is getting relief from his pain from cannabis - a substance that would've gotten him court-martialed in the service.

"It doesn't help me walk better but it helps me worry about it less," said Creedon.

Revolutionary Clinics, a medical dispensary with branches in Somerville and Cambridge has been seeing the increasing trend of vets turning to medical cannabis.

"There are a lot of veterans out there who have been through a lot," said Tom Schneider, of Revolutionary Clinics. "They've seen a lot more than you or I will ever want to see."

That makes veterans a potentially lucrative demographic for medical dispensaries as the symptoms they suffer can, for the most part, be remedied with cannabis.

"PTSD and anxiety is a huge concern that we hear daily especially with regards to physical pain," said Sarah-Jaana Nodell, of Revolutionary Clinics.

There's another factor influencing veterans to flock to medical dispensaries - the fact that they can't get cannabis at VA hospitals because the substance is still illegal on a federal level.

Since last March, veteran traffic at Revolutionary's Somerville Clinic has grown threefold.

The growth may also be due to the 15 to 40 percent discount on cannabis products that veterans are entitled to at the store.

"We feel that we need to reach out to them and give them the discounts that we can afford to help them on their way," said Schneider.

Cox Media Group