Veterans would be especially affected by proposed hemp limits

Freedom is not free — and though the enduring strength of our country and generations of heroes make it easy to believe so, freedom cannot be taken for granted. Like my fellow veterans, as a Joint Special Operations Command Targeting Officer, I know all too well the price of defending our liberties and the toll it takes on the men and women who selflessly serve our country, here at home and abroad.

Unfortunately, for too many of us, leaving the battlefield doesn’t mean leaving the battle behind. Reliving operations over and over in our heads can lead to vicious cycles of sleep deprivation, debilitating bouts of anxiety and an inability to feel completely present in our new daily lives. Even when connected with veteran groups and networks, many of us still feel we need some daily support and relief for our transition to civilian life. Thankfully, I and countless combat veterans have been able to find a measure of relief because of lawful hemp products like CBD, which are safe, regulated and readily available.

I can personally attest to numerous success stories from fellow combat veterans who were finally able to attain deep and peaceful sleep through the night for the first time in decades, thanks to hemp products like those currently sold in Florida. Some of these veterans have credited CBD oils and lotions for easing lingering pains and discomforts they couldn’t otherwise shake. But now, unless fellow veteran Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoes it, Florida legislation known as SB 1698 may soon outlaw many currently legal hemp products — meaning those of us who have experienced the benefits of these products may no longer have access to them.

Like many of my peers, I initially wrote off these products because of the negative perception most people have, equating hemp products to drugs like marijuana. Too many times, I’d seen the heartbreaking outcome when fellow veterans sought relief down the addictive path of alcohol, hard drugs and prescription opioids. It’s as if they became caught in quicksand and couldn’t claw themselves out.

But hemp products offer an alternative and legal solution. Unlike marijuana and other controlled substances, hemp products are legal at the federal level and in many states. Hemp has a very low concentration of the psychoactive compound delta-9 THC — with some CBD products having no more than trace amounts. For many of these veterans, currently available hemp products provide wellness benefits without the negative side effects that result from marijuana, such as amplified feelings of anxiety.

There’s another reason veterans in particular seek out lawful hemp products rather than a medical marijuana card: They are wary of losing the Second Amendment rights they fought so hard to protect.

Because marijuana is a controlled substance at the federal level, your right to purchase firearms vanishes when you own a medical marijuana card. Before buying a gun, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Form 4473 asks everyone if they unlawfully use controlled substances, and specifies that the possession of marijuana remains federally illegal regardless of whether it’s been decriminalized in an individual’s home state.

Anyone, including veterans, who has a medical marijuana card and wishes to purchase a firearm would violate ATF regulations and could face felony charges and up to a decade in prison. If SB 1698 becomes law, many hemp products will only be available from businesses that require medical marijuana cards, leaving countless patriotic Floridians with an extremely difficult decision.

Florida’s hemp industry provides an alternative to controlled substances and opioids so adults can use safe, lawful products for their wellness and quality of life benefits. After selflessly serving our country, veterans should not have to worry about losing their Second Amendment rights or risk becoming addicted to prescription or black-market products, just to get relief from the mental and physical burdens that linger from their service.

Florida is home to the nation’s third-largest veteran population, and is quickly overtaking California as the second-largest. Like myself, DeSantis proudly served this country. I hope he’ll again stand with his fellow veterans and veto SB 1698.