DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — Medical cannabidiol is legal in Iowa for a specific list of diseases and conditions. Now the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board has received petitions asking for an expansion of the list. The proposed list includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Two Dubuque veterans hope the board approves this condition.
Jim Wagner and Al Rowell, co-founders of the Veterans Freedom Center, say their center is a place that allows vets with PTSD to forget about things for a while. And they know that from personal experience.
„You can wake up some days and it’s not so bad,” Wagner said. „And the next day you don’t even want to get out of bed, you’re just so miserable and so down.”
They’re both on medications to help with the symptoms, but they say that has its drawbacks.
„Hangovers from them in the morning. It sounds crazy but there is,” Rowell said.
So they’re very excited about the possibility for people who suffer from PTSD to be eligible for medical CBD.
„We’ve known people that’s been on it (CBD) with PTSD and they don’t do it to get stoned. They just do it to take the edge off,” Rowell said.
Wagner said, „I think it’s great. Any time we can do anything for PTSD, even take the edge off, is going to be a big difference.”
The board has six months to approve or deny a petition for a new condition. If this moves forward, Wagner and Rowell say they’ll try it out and encourage others too as well.
„It’d be neat to try it and then just be able to tell other veterans you know, don’t be scared of this,” Wagner said.
Rowell said, „we’re just scratching the surface of what this stuff can do.”