Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives

Growing up in Southern Louisiana, if you would have told me that I would be sitting next to a retired 3-star Marine Corps General at our nation's capitol advocating for the medical use of psychedelics, I would have laughed with you. WIth the exponential increase in the number of patients who have been treated over the last decade by the traditional therapeutic and medicinal approaches of the Western model, we should have seen a reduction in the number of su***des and pharmaceutical overdoses within that same period. The truth is that not only have we NOT seen a reduction in deaths, we have seen and continue to see an increase in both su***des and pharmaceutical overdoses. This is not just a Veteran problem, this is a 'human' problem, which can clearly be seen in the increased su***de rates among our youth. This is a clear indicator that the options we're being given to heal are not working. It is time for change.

Gary P. Hess, Executive Director of VAHA, member of the VMHLC, and Chair of the Moral Compass Federation, stated, "Our commitment to our veterans is unwavering. The Breakthrough Therapies Act is not just legislation; it's a lifeline for those who have borne the battle. Our advocacy efforts aim to ensure that this lifeline is strengthened and extended."

Click the link below to read our full press release:
https://lnkd.in/dSpePsCK

Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Lieutenant General Marty Steele, USMC (Ret.), Lynnette A. Averill, PhD, Adam Marr, Jesse MacLachlan, Charlie P., Juliana Mercer, Robert Koffman, Gary P. Hess, Hannah C. McLane, MD, MA, MPH, Nikhil Dhingra, Tommy Aceto, Susan Ousterman, Deran Young, Mahesh K., Anne Marie Principe, Jesse Gould, Ladan Eshkevari, Veronica Slootsky, Mark Keller, Sean Belouin, Leith States, MD, MPH, MBA FACPM, Seema Sadanandan, Manish Agrawal, Ryan Roberts, MBA, Joseph Peter Barsuglia, PhD, Martin Polanco, M.D., Alison Messick, Robin K., The Daschle Group, Vogel Group, Heroic Hearts Project, Healing Breakthrough, Sunstone Therapies, Warrior Canine Connection, Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives, SoundMind Institute, Villomah Foundation, Black Therapists Rock, Avesta Ketamine and Wellness, The Mission Within, Navy SEAL Foundation, BrainFutures

VAHA's Executive Director, Gary Hess, was featured in the New York Times - the article discusses the challenges of drug screening policies for hiring young workers. As a former Marine officer, Hess once believed drug use should disqualify workers. However, after turning to medicinal cannabis as a "last resort" to cope with chronic pain and PTSD, he discovered its therapeutic potential and founded the Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA).

Hess shares, "They could achieve an incredible amount of resiliency in their workforce if they educated their communities about medical cannabis." This highlights the need for a shift in perspective and acceptance of plant-based medicines within the national security industry.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/30/us/ma*****na-drugs-federal-jobs.html

Needing Younger Workers, Federal Officials Relax Rules on Past Drug Use As more states legalize ma*****na and competition for talent grows fiercer, the U.S. government is loosening guidelines from the “Just Say No” era.

VAHA Executive Director Gary Hess was invited to speak at a closed-door breakfast in Washington, D.C., hosted by Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce for newly elected Republican representatives. The event takes place every two years, covering various topics of interest. This year's focus was on cannabis and the role the federal government can play in its regulation and policy.

Hess emphasized “Although research is an incredibly important issue, the focus needs to remain on access, especially for the veteran community. It is abundantly clear that the pharmaceutical strategies being employed to treat our conditions are not working. Veterans in every state need real, viable options to heal. These options should be open for discussion and available to us through our local VA.”

We are humbled and honored by the continued support of PAX . Thank you for supporting the mission and the veteran community💚.

Thank you, NBC News, for featuring VAHA in their Veterans Day broadcast "American Veterans Beyond the Battlefield" where they explored the growing movement of veterans seeking holistic health options. We are humbled to be mentioned by this incredible platform, reaching the homes of millions of Americans alongside some of the most innovative organizations seeking to serve the veteran community.

Gratitude is due, and reverence is meaningful, but if we truly want to honor the individuals who have served our country, we must hold ourselves accountable for the losses happening before our eyes. Honor your veterans by supporting holistic healing methods that actually work. We love our Veterans and are doing everything in our power to help them really get home. Thank you for all that you have done.

In honor of and gratitude to all Veterans who have served our country, ‘Thank you for your service’ will never be enough. For more of VAHA Executive Director Gary Hess' conversations about plant-based medicine visit our YouTube channel Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives.

https://youtu.be/5h0y2QVsm3U

Veteran Loss: The Root of the Problem Gratitude is due and reverence is meaningful, but if we truly want to honor the individuals who have served our country we must hold ourselves accountable fo...

VAHA Founder, Gary Hess, today announced the appointment of veteran political and communication strategist, Terry Holt, to serve on the organization’s Advisory Board as Strategic Advisor. Link below to view full press release.

https://www.vahahealth.com/vaha-names-national-political-strategist-terry-holt-to-advisory-board/

“Cannabis will transform healthcare and open tremendous opportunities for veterans and patients. VAHA is leading the way toward greater access and understanding of plant medicine, and I am thrilled to be involved in this movement,” Holt said.

Welcome to the VAHA Board Terry!

VAHA Executive Director, Gary Hess, hosts a podcast via our operational brand . Link below to hear about how Veterans are using Cannabis to treat stress after combat.

https://loom.ly/uenv5Hc

Veterans Using CANNABIS to Treat Stress After Combat After a lifetime devoted to serving our country, our Veterans are not given the opportunity to heal the root causes of their stress related health conditions...

VAHA Executive Director, Gary Hess, hosts a podcast via our operational brand, . Check out the link below to hear from our guests, Doug & Spring, about Doug's journey as a Veteran living 18 years with undiagnosed epilepsy and how he discovered cannabis as the only medicine that works for his body.

https://loom.ly/VaWdbw4

Living with Epilepsy. Using Cannabis as Medicine. How many of us are living with or know someone who is struggling with chronic undiagnosed conditions? Doug is a Veteran with debilitating Epilepsy who has be...

Humbled to be included in list of "7 Exceptional Cannabis Veterans Organizations." See the link below for the full article!

https://loom.ly/2rMJlZk

7 exceptional cannabis veterans organizations - The official publication of MJ Unpacked What veterans cannabis organizations are out there? DJ Reetz rounds up seven exceptional options for connecting veterans to cannabis.

“If the NDAA is about having the best military, then SAFE should be added. We must be a nation that is both prepared to fight and, when it’s over, prepared to heal,” VAHA Executive Director, Gary Hess. See full press release at the link below.



https://loom.ly/p_WyRmM

- VAHA - Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives VAHA Endorses New Effort to Pass SAFE Banking Act Annual Defense Bill Should Include Cannabis Reforms That Help Veterans   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Orleans, LA – As Congress returns to Washingto...

The legislative session may be over but VAHA is not done advocating for legal access for those in need in North and South Carolina. Link to the full segment featuring VAHA Executive Director Gary Hess below.

Both Carolinas are home to thousands of Veterans and promote their state as being Veteran friendly. We’re here to help hold them accountable to that promise.



https://loom.ly/fsJOfso

VAHA Advocating in the Carolinas - WCNC-TV Charlotte VAHA Executive Director Gary Hess provides an update on the Advocacy efforts in North Carolina and South Carolina. Link to the full article: https://www.wcnc...

“The call to serve should be backed by service and support when the troops come home. Offering SAFE in the NDAA is a matter of national security and preparedness and a reflection of our country’s strength,” Gary Hess, CEO of the Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives, said. “SAFE would help the tens of thousands of veterans who already work in the cannabis industry and protect the millions of others who are turning to it for therapeutic options and future employment opportunities.” Link below for the full article.

https://loom.ly/OClYuvQ

Bipartisan Lawmakers File Ma*****na Banking Amendment To Must-Pass Defense Bill In Latest Reform Push - Ma*****na Moment The House sponsor of a bipartisan ma*****na banking reform bill isn’t giving up the fight to get the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act enacted this year, introducing an amendment to a must-pass defense bill on Thursday that would incorporate the reform. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) filed...

VAHA makes a last minute push and urges the NC GOP to hear SB711 to legalize cannabis in NC. Click the link below to view full press release. We will not quit until the bell rings. We didn’t ask our country to wait in their time of need, please do not make us wait any longer.

https://www.vahahealth.com/veterans-urge-action-by-the-gop-support-consideration-of-the-nccca-by-the-full-house/

Veterans Urge Action by the GOP Support Consideration of the NCCCA by the Full House - VAHA - Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives Raleigh, NC – The Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives of North Carolina (VAHA-NC) is calling on members of the Republican Caucus of the North Carolina House of Representatives to vote in favor of moving the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act to consideration by the full body. VAHA-NC, h...

While advocating in Raleigh for House members to pass SB 711, the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, Executive Director Gary Hess and Advocate Josh Biddix sat down with Spectrum News 1 to talk about VAHA's mission and why North Carolina needs to pass the NCCCA now. Great work, team.

Watch the interview at the link below!

Veterans lobby for medical ma*****na Veterans lobby for medical ma*****na

VAHA's efforts in the fight for patient protection have paid off! The Louisiana Senate voted 26-8 to pass HB988, the nation's first piece of legislation that protects state employees from workplace discrimination due to their patient status, and it is on its way to the desk of Governor Edwards!

Although first responders such as firefighters and police are excluded in this bill, this is a victory for patients and sets a precedent for further progress in the future.

HB988 reads:

"No state employer shall subject an employee or prospective employee to negative employment consequences based solely on a positive drug test for ma*****na, ma*****na components, including tetrahydrocannabinols, or ma*****na metabolites if the employee or prospective employee has been clinically diagnosed as suffering from a debilitating medical condition and a licensed physician has recommended ma*****na for therapeutic use by the employee in accordance with state law."

Way to go, Louisiana! Let's keep it moving!

Cannabis Advocate and US Marine Corps veteran, Gary Hess, announced this week that his organization, the Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA), has established VAHA-NC, a state-based advocacy arm dedicated to passage of SB 711, the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act (NCCCA).

VAHA-NC is supported by its Advocate Team: a group of veterans who will share their stories with legislators and amplify the message that veterans deserve access to safe, legal, plant medicine.

You can learn more about VAHA-NC, the Advocate Team, at VAHANC.org on the web.

Today we pause to remember every service member who gave their life to serve our great nation.

They made the ultimate sacrifice. We live in gratitude and honor them and their families every day of the year.

VAHA Executive Director Gary Hess spoke last week at the capitol to advocate for public employees to gain the right to access medical cannabis as protected patients in Louisiana. His testimony on behalf of HB988 served as an integral piece to push the bill unanimously through the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. This is an exciting step forward for patients' rights.

Should HB988 ultimately pass into law, it will be landmark legislation. At present, there are no protections in place for state or local government employees who wish to choose medical cannabis over opioids and other prescription pills. Their medical autonomy is denied to them because of their civil service to their communities.

We will not accept that. VAHA will continue to fight for HB988 and for all people who are denied this choice.

You can watch Gary's testimony in Baton Rouge below!

https://bit.ly/3wQr8s9

VAHA testified on behalf of Louisiana's HB988 - Allowing public employees access to medical cannabis VAHA's Executive Director Gary Hess testified for Louisiana HB988, a bill that would protect critical public employees from being disqualified from legally a...

Founder and CEO Gary P. Hess speaks up for Louisiana HB988, a bill that would protect critical workers like first responders from being disqualified from legally accessing medical cannabis.

Read more at https://bit.ly/3G4aisK