Marijuana may not cure the summertime blues, but there are those who think it can cure post-traumatic stress disorder, especially among veterans.

Dave Wanzenreid, a longtime Montana legislator and current candidate for governor told The Colorado Independent earlier this year that veterans would be among the people most hurt when the Montana Legislature passed a bill to severely restrict access to medical marijuana in Montana.

From that story:

He said the push to eliminate medical marijuana or regulate it so tightly that it is virtually banned is coming from the far right. He said the effort may backfire, noting that many right-wing voters are patients themselves.

For instance, he said, many veterans are patients. Many veterans, he said, have lived with either pain or narcotics or both for years. “With medical marijuana, many veterans tell me they are 70 to 80 percent pain free and are less susceptible to post traumatic stress as well. Many of them have told me they are getting their lives back and becoming productive again because of medical marijuana.”

Today, in an article with a Denver dateline, The New York Times reports that a major study on marijuana as a treatment for PTSD will be launched as soon as the study receives federal approval.

For years now, some veterans groups and marijuana advocates have argued that the therapeutic benefits of the drug can help soothe the psychological wounds of battle. But with only anecdotal evidence as support, their claims have yet to gain widespread acceptance in medical circles.

Now, however, researchers are seeking federal approval for what is believed to be the first study to examine the effects of marijuana on veterans with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.

The proposal, from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in Santa Cruz, Calif., and a researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, would look at the potential benefits of cannabis by examining 50 combat veterans who suffer from the condition and have not responded to other treatment.

Getting federal approval may be difficult, however.

Getting final approval from the federal government could prove difficult, Mr. (Rick) Doblin and Dr. (Sue) Sisley conceded. They said it was far more challenging to get authorization for a study that examines the benefits of an illegal drug than its risks.

“We really believe science should supersede politics,” Dr. Sisley said. “This illness needs to be treated in a multidisciplinary way. Drugs like Zoloft and Paxil have proven entirely inadequate. And there’s anecdotal evidence from vets that cannabis can provide systematic relief.”

Sisley and Doblin are the study’s directors.

Colorado Springs author David Phillips followed the lives of soldiers returning to Fort Carson in 2007 after serving in Iraq and has just published a book on the experience titled “Lethal Warriors: When the New Band of Brothers Came Home.” Phillips reports that eight of the soldiers in the brigade he was reporting on have since been arrested for murder or attempted murder.

Phillips published a column in this morning’s Washington Post where he writes about the the effects on veterans of post traumatic stress disorder. The Post introduced the column this way:

The soldiers were all part of the same unit from Fort Carson, Colo., and when they returned home from some of the worst regions in Iraq after multiple tours of duty, many went on drug-fueled crime sprees including random shootings, brawls, beatings, rapes, driving under the influence, domestic violence, stabbings, kidnappings and suicide. In “Lethal Warriors: When the New Band of Brothers Came Home,” published this week by Palgrave Macmillan, David Philipps tells the harrowing tale of these soldiers and their struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Here, Philipps, a feature writer for the Colorado Springs Gazette and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, takes a Veterans Day look at how PTSD has become an issue of vital concern to our troops and our nation.

From Phillips’ column:

Both Jose Barco and Kenneth Eastridge served with the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Carson, Colo. Both deployed to the most violent places in Iraq. Both were given medals for good conduct. Both were liked by their fellow soldiers.

But both, after two tours, struggled to find normalcy, and they leaned increasingly on substance abuse and loaded weapons to make them feel sane. It was only a matter of time before someone got hurt.

Barco was arrested for attempted murder, after shooting a pregnant woman at a party. Eastridge was arrested for the murder of a fellow soldier. They are not alone.

In the year after their brigade returned from Iraq in 2007, eight soldiers were arrested for murder or attempted murder. The problem may be much larger than just one brigade in Colorado, but the number of active-duty troops and recent veterans arrested for crimes is hard to track. And currently, no one is even trying.

And from the publisher’s website:

Lethal Warriors brings to life the chilling true stories of these veterans—from their enlistment and multiple tours of duty to their struggles with ptsd and their failure to reintegrate in society. With piercing insight and employing his relentless investigative skills, journalist David Philipps shines a light not only to this particular unit, but also to the painful reality of ptsd as it rages throughout the country.

By exploring the evolving the science and the stigma of war trauma throughout history—from “shell shock” to “battle fatigue” to “combat stress injuries”—Philipps shows that this problem has always existed and that, as the nature of warfare changes, it is only getting worse. In highlighting the inspiring stories of the resilient men and women in the armed forces who have the courage to confront the issue and offer a potential lifeline to the soldiers, Lethal Warriors challenges us to deal openly, honestly, and intelligently with the true costs of war.

Phillips did not immediately return a phone message.

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“Some elected officials have been friends of troops and veterans, with their votes, and others have not. We have always said that we would hold public officials accountable when they did not vote in the best interest of troops and veterans, and today we are keeping that promise,” said Jon Soltz, Iraq war veteran, and chairman of VoteVets.org.

One of the new ads, featuring Iraq war combat veteran Jason Bensley, begins a $350,000 two-week run on the air in Virginia this week. Let’s watch:

Here’s what the ad says:

Jason Bensley: When John McCain was about my age, our country paid his way through college. But when a new GI Bill came up in Congress to help today’s vets go to college, John McCain, you skipped the vote for a political fundraiser in San Diego. I used to respect you, Senator McCain, but with your seven houses and lobbyist friends, you’re just a Washington guy now. Vet to vet, Senator McCain, when you put money from your rich friends ahead of vets like me, how is that ‘Country First’?

In another ad, airing in both Spanish and English on the radio statewide in New Mexico, Iraq war veteran Romeo Rocha charges, “Time and time again, John McCain voted against more funding for veterans care.”

Listen to the English version here and the Spanish version here.

The veterans advocacy group, which claims 102,000 members nationwide, also plans a $700,000 mailing to voters in swing states, including Colorado, which “exposes votes by Senator McCain, and other public officials’ record on troops and veterans issues.”

The group attacked Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for his record on the Iraq war on Colorado airwaves in August.

Strategically speaking, a stop in Southern Colorado helps the campaign for a few reasons. First, Hillary Clinton won Pueblo during the caucus and soothing over hard feelings in this strongly Democratic area will help turn out more voters in November, making up for losses in other parts of the state. Secondly, Pueblo shares a media market with El Paso county and Obama needs to answer the hugely successful rally last week by Palin and McCain in Colorado Springs.

Obama will likely use this stop to reach out to Hispanic voters and Pueblo’s high concentration of veterans — remember, Pueblo’s nickname is the “Home of Heroes.” In addition to earned media, McCain’s abysmal record on veterans issues should be easy enough to get out through mailers or inexpensive TV spots that would also reach military families in Colorado Springs.

The stop in Grand Junction really gets me excited. It shows Obama’s not willing to concede this area to McCain, and with the unbelievable fumble McCain made on renegotiating the Colorado River Compact this area could be in play. Not in the sense that Obama could win, but as Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli points out in the Grand Junction Sentinel article linked to above, “The strategy of winning in the West and in Colorado is not only to play to your base but to take the edge off areas you’re going to lose.”

Back in 2004 my good friend and the next State Rep. from Pueblo Sal Pace, at that time our Field Director for the Salazar race, said that if we hit 38 to 40 percent in Mesa County we’d win the election. Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened. If Obama does well in Grand Junction he’ll likely win the 3rd and then likely win the state, assuming he also wins the Democratic leaning 1st, 2nd, and 7th.

I give a lot of the credit for the Salazar victory in 2004 to our water strategy. We drew a strong contrast between lifelong farmer Salazar and his opponent who supported the water-grab Referendum A.

Grand Junction has its own media market, as does Pueblo/El Paso, and a few TV spots about how McCain wants to renegotiate the Colorado River Compact would have a huge impact in these areas. Look for Obama to mention it on Monday and look for a TV spot sometime before November.

Colorado Independent’s blogumnist (blogger-columnist) Jeff Bridges has worked in Democratic politics for the last 10 years, serving as communications director for two congressional races in Colorado and two governor’s races in the Deep South. Bridges also worked as a legislative assistant in Washington, D.C., with a focus on military and small business issues.

Read Jeff’s latest commentaries.

Here’s the Musgrave ad, featuring three veterans who charge Musgrave voted against a $1500 combat bonus for troops while taking $14,000 in pay raises for herself:

VoteVets.org, which claims 102,000 members nationwide, has been running an ad since mid August that questions Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer’s record on veterans issues.

Musgrave, a three-term incumbent, is facing a strong challenge from Democrat Betsy Markey. A poll last week showed Markey leading Musgrave 50-43 percent in the 4th District, which spans the northern Front Range and eastern plains.

Pointing out that the Iraq war was not related to the Sept. 11 attacks, Duckworth, who was shot down four years ago by a rocket-propelled grenade while piloting a helicopter just north of Baghdad, said the Bush administration had let soldiers down when it came to health care. Obama would safeguard military members benefits and would never lead the U.S. armed forces into ill-defined, open-ended conflicts, she added.

Duckworth, the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, told the enthusiastic convention goers:

“I know Barack Obama. I met him when he visited me and other wounded troops at Walter Reed.
He came without reporters. He wasn’t looking for credit. He just cared about how we were doing,” Duckworth said, refuting a highly publicized rumor that Obama canceled a visit to wounded troops because photographers would not be accompanying him.

“[McCain] has repeatedly voted against health care funding and benefits for his fellow veterans.
And if elected, his plan could lead to the rationing of veterans’ health care. The fact is, our veterans can’t afford more of the same from John McCain,” Edwards said.

Edwards, D-Texas, briefly considered a dark horse in the running for Obama’s vice presidential choice, hammered away on the Democrats’ message of a need for change, on the third night of the Democratic National Convention.

The conservative Democrat, who represents George W. Bush’s hometown, Crawford, Texas, also highlighted Obama’s support of the GI education bill and an increase in funding for veterans.

Obama will also responsibly bring troops home from Iraq and make their health care a higher priority than tax cuts for oil companies, said Edwards, the son of a WWII naval pilot.

His speech was followed by a brief, emotional video of veterans and their families, narrated by actor Tom Hanks, who talked about the need to take care of veterans.

Only instead of treating him for what are classic symptoms of traumatic brain injury – or TBI – Mischke’s wife and father say the U.S. military has tried to force him from the service for domestic abuse.“He’d be out of the service if his wife hadn’t fought for him,” Tom Mischke said of his son.

Darren Mischke got knocked out in a wreck during his first tour in Iraq, said his wife, Teresa. He was riding on the turret of a military vehicle that got hit by a mortar in his second tour.

It was enough, his family claims, to turn Darren Mischke from a squared-away enlisted man into a pain-riddled head case. Mischke is among the estimated 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who return from war with traumatic brain injury. A report by USA Today estimates that 20,000 returning vets not classified as wounded actually had undiagnosed TBI.

The scope of the problem is huge. But the reaction to it is even more critical.

“A lot of the injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan are brain-related because of the kinds of weapons used,” Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar said last week as he toured Denver’s Craig Hospital.

Craig leads a national system of hospitals in developing innovative ways to treat traumatic brain injury.

“We’ve got to put some focus on it,” Salazar said.

The senator did his part by helping to shepherd $900,000 into the proposed current federal budget. The money would keep model programs for TBI treatment going at 14 hospitals across the country.

The Bush Administration tried to freeze funding in a way that would have forced two of those programs to close, said Craig Hospital’s Cindy Felix, the director of Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems of Care.

But even after Salazar succeeded in getting the extra 900 grand for brain trauma treatment into the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, President Bush vetoed the bill.

The president wasn’t aiming at TBI programs so much as overall spending. Still, as Salazar noted, “this is not the time to pull back on traumatic brain injury research and treatment.”

Darren Mischke’s case proves the point. Stationed at Fort Carson, Mischke has been back from Iraq for a year and still hasn’t gotten the treatment he needs, his family claimed.

The situation exploded in March.

“I told him to get help,” Teresa Mischke said. “He told me he’d get in trouble with his unit. He said one of his superiors had told him he’d make his life a living hell.”

Shortly thereafter, Darren Mischke, pain-riddled and confused, turned abusive, then suicidal. His wife, trying to save him, called 911.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department “arrested him for domestic violence and the District Attorney’s office fast-tracked him to plead guilty,” Teresa Mischke said.

The third-degree assault plea became the basis for an attempt by the Army to give Mischke a general discharge.

“He would have nothing, no insurance and limits on his VA coverage,” his wife said.

Working with the advocacy group Veterans for America, Teresa Mischke pushed the military to send her husband to a medical review board.

The medical board talked about depression and post traumatic stress, but not brain injury. The diagnosis didn’t help. Eventually, a military doctor decided Sgt. Mischke suffered from “post concussive syndrome,” but offered no regimen of treatment, his wife said.

“He’s actually worse now than when he came home from Iraq,” she added.

Because he is not their patient, officials at Craig Hospital did not address Mischke’s case specifically. They did, however, outline several general needs for brain trauma treatment that fit Mischke’s predicament.

The first is timely care. Rehabilitation from brain injuries works best when started soon after the trauma, said Jim Schraa, a clinical neuropsychologist in Craig’s TBI program.

Waiting for a bureaucratic or uninformed system – be it military or civilian – to make the call on traumatic brain injury puts victims at needless risk. When the Army plays macho with guys like Mischke and for-profit private insurance companies play bean counter by limiting care based on costs rather than outcomes, folks end up without enough treatment.

For instance, said Schraa, Tri-Care, the military’s health insurance program, won’t pay for cognitive therapy for members of the National Guard returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Communities also need help caring for brain-injured vets trying to re-integrate, Schraa added. Telemedicine, where doctors at hospitals such as Craig meet online or by phone with patients, is an option. Other forms of long-term care must be developed and funded.

Any solution starts with acknowledging the problem.

That’s why doctors and patients at Craig were so happy to see Salazar last week.

“Thanks for caring and supporting the cause,” Dr. Alan Weintraub, Craig’s medical director for brain trauma, told Salazar.

“I’m happy to help,” the senator replied. “As a result of the Iraq War there are going to be a lot more patients with traumatic brain injury.”

People like Darren Mischke.

On Nov. 5, almost a year after he returned from Iraq, a special scan finally showed his brain trauma, Mischke’s wife and father said, yet discharge procedures continue.

For anyone who still needs to put a face on this country’s failure to help its brain-injured vets, a portrait of the sergeant would work just fine.

“The command staff at Fort Carson, for example, has implemented several key policies which may serve as models for PTSD, TBI [traumatic brain injury] and mental health treatment in the Department of Defense,” Salazar and Allard wrote. A group of nine other senators recently asked the GAO to investigate mental health services for veterans, and Colorado’s delegation are concerned Ft. Carson will be the only target.

“Focusing the investigation solely on a single installation, such as Fort. Carson, may result in the faulty perception that these challenges are confined to one installation,” they wrote.

Leadership at Fort Carson has been accused of failing to provide treatment – or even punishing – soldiers who have symptoms of PTSD. The military base has come under much media scrutiny, especially after NPR aired an investigative piece on the issue in December.

A band of young people chanting “1-2-3-4. We don’t want your bloody war. 5-6-7-8. Stop the violence, stop the hate” stood in stark contrast with the quiet resolve of West Point Graduates Against the War.

Retired Army Capt. Joe Sharrock a 1997 West Point graduate who did a tour in Iraq said “This war is illegitimate. It’s not going well and we’ve got to change the course.” Sharrock, who was not politically involved prior to the war, said “I want people to know we’re not all flower children. My conscience brought me here.”

Sharrock’s wife, Shannon, a retired Air Force captain and West Point graduate, agreed. “We have a duty to speak out. The biggest reason we’re here today as veterans is that we have a message that can’t be ignored. A member of Military Families Speak Out, Shannon said “Our friends are over there. Nothing has changed. The soldiers are more than just faces to us. We’ve served with them.”

The dozen protestors interviewed for this story among the 200 strong on the street expressed complete support for the troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan though they were universally opposed to the war itself.

That sentiment was lost on Dale Parrish of LaSalle and a lonely group of nine war supporters — none with personal military experience — who had stationed themselves a block north of the action. Parrish’s son Victor is an Army infantryman who just returned from Iraq and would “go back to Iraq in a heartbeat to finish the job.” Parrish did not explain why his son was stateside after a seven month tour — short of the typical one-year assignment of most soliders in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. “I support the war, I support my son, I support the president, and I support the Republican Congress,” he boasted.

He was joined by Greeley resident Fred Cahill who repeated the familiar refrains of “if we don’t fight ‘em there, we’ll fight ‘em here.” Said Cahill, “I think we’re making as much progress as expected. The Iraqi people need to take responsibility for themselves.” Cahill who admitted that he had not serve in the military, he claimed that a timetable for withdrawl would not work because “we can’t predict what will happen.”

Retired Lt. Col. Richard Thomas likely understands better than anyone the bad-to-worse post-war scenarios based on his service in Vietnam.

A career officer who served in the clandestine “White Star” operation in the early 1960s which he described as “President Kennedy’s secret war” in Laos. The 1958 West Point graduate recalled, “After the Vietnam War, the military took the brunt of the criticism for the politicians. People who lose loved ones don’t want to admit that they died in vain. But all these losses [in Iraq] are for nothing.”

Thomas and his wife regularly attend the weekly anti-war protest in Fort Collins. “Iraq was not a threat to the U.S. We had no reason to go there,” he said emphatically.

Fellow Vietnam veteran Mike Collins was also on hand to lend his support. Collins, who developed larynx cancer from Agent Orange exposure, was featured in an anti-Musgrave political ad by the Denver-based ProgressNow Action claiming that she has earned a zero rating two years in a row from the Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit organization which represents 1.3 million members.

“I know first hand what the Bush Administration has done to veterans. The Veterans Administration (VA) is beyond the breaking point.” Collins described a dire situation for military personnel discharged from Walter Reed Army Medical Center or the burn unit at Brooks Army Medical Center seeking rehabilitative and psychiatric care from the VA.

“They can’t keep up because the VA staff are overworked and under-budgeted. People are not getting the truth,” he said.

David Mann decided to take a different approach than his fellow veterans’ quiet determination by confronting the Commander-in-Chief directly. Mann, a discharged Army Specialist at Fort Carson who was twice deployed to Iraq and has a brother there now, obtained a ticket to attend the president’s speech.

“I just started yelling. I couldn’t take it anymore. I jumped on a tractor in the middle of [the president's] speech and called him a war criminal. I don’t even know what I said. I’m so mad.” The Secret Service and Greeley police grabbed him and escorted him out of the building, according to Mann.

Moments after his forcible ejection from the rally, Mann distributed the following written statement:

The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 marked a new period in American government. The United States was no longer a country were dissent and discussion was accepted or encouraged by the party in power. Since entry into Iraq, the President and his administration have misused the trust of the American people. Even more disgracefully, they have neglected their solemn commitment to rightfully make use of U.S. troops. This is a trangression that cannot be endorsed by any true patriot.