Burlington business hosts 3rd annual cannabis giveaway for veterans

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - For the third year, a local business handed out cannabis and hemp to men and women of the military.

About 15 service members showed up to Heady Vermont’s Veterans Day cannabis giveaway on Sunday. Owner Monica Donovan says Vermont cultivators and small growers donated edibles and hemp to give to veterans to help ease and manage PTSD, anxiety and chronic pain.

Donovan says there’s limited federal research that speaks to the benefits of cannabis for veterans, but she says the studies that have been done have proven it to be effective.

“It had been shown in some instances to reveal that. And anecdotally speaking, I think a lot of these people will just tell you— and I use it myself as well for PTSD and anxiety. So, I anecdotally know it works," she said.

Donovan says they’re also working on starting up a monthly peer group for veterans that will focus on providing them with education and resources about cannabis and hemp. They’ll likely release more information on that later this week.

Copyright 2020 WCAX. All rights reserved.