{"id":16705,"date":"2019-09-17T17:32:02","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T21:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lcpllutzlivetotell.org\/?p=16705"},"modified":"2019-09-17T17:32:02","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T21:32:02","slug":"how-cannabis-prohibition-is-harming-veterans-suffering-from-ptsd-and-other-ailments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/?p=16705","title":{"rendered":"How Cannabis Prohibition Is Harming Veterans Suffering From PTSD And Other Ailments"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"metrics-channel\">\n<div><time>Apr 15, 2019, 07:50am<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"fs-headline speakable-headline  font-base\">How Cannabis Prohibition Is Harming Veterans Suffering From PTSD And Other Ailments<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-wrap alignnone\">\n<div class=\"article-body-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thumbor.forbes.com\/thumbor\/960x0\/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fandrebourque%2Ffiles%2F2019%2F04%2FGettyImages-531667642-1200x801.jpg\" alt=\"uncaptioned\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-image-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"><small class=\"article-photo-credit\">GETTY IMAGES<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>The scientific blacklisting of cannabis hurts veterans especially hard.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Cannabis research<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Studying cannabis is really, really, difficult in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Just ask Dr. Sue Sisley, who has spent the last ten years trying to complete the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/maps.org\/research\/mmj\/marijuana-us\/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/maps.org\/research\/mmj\/marijuana-us\/news\">first clinical trial<\/a>\u00a0of cannabis use for PTSD in veterans. The study, sponsored by the non-profit Multidisciplinary Associations for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), finished its groundbreaking research earlier this year after it was approved by the FDA all the way back in 2011. Dr. Sisley\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/maps.org\/news\/5302-weeded-out-how-the-u-of-a-fired-pot-researcher-sue-sisley-after-a-state-senator-complained\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/maps.org\/news\/5302-weeded-out-how-the-u-of-a-fired-pot-researcher-sue-sisley-after-a-state-senator-complained\">overcame multiple obstacles<\/a>\u00a0to complete the study, including being fired from her job at the University of Arizona.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are immensely grateful to all of the study\u2019s supporters,\u201d Dr. Sisley wrote in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/maps.org\/news\/media\/7628-press-release-researchers-announce-completion-of-first-clinical-trial-of-marijuana-for-ptsd-in-veterans?pk_campaign=2019-02-Newsletter-February-Web&amp;pk_kwd=item-mmj-text-read-the-pressrelease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/maps.org\/news\/media\/7628-press-release-researchers-announce-completion-of-first-clinical-trial-of-marijuana-for-ptsd-in-veterans?pk_campaign=2019-02-Newsletter-February-Web&amp;pk_kwd=item-mmj-text-read-the-pressrelease\">press release\u00a0<\/a>announcing the study\u2019s completion, \u201cespecially the veteran service organizations who helped us with patient recruitment. We are proud to have persevered through these regulatory hurdles independently of hospitals, universities, or the VA system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Sisley\u2019s study represents an outlier for cannabis research, in part because it happened, and in part, because it was geared towards veterans using cannabis as a treatment\u2014not as a disorder.<\/p>\n<div class=\"SandboxRoot env-bp-350\" data-twitter-event-id=\"0\">\n<div id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"EmbeddedTweet EmbeddedTweet--cta js-clickToOpenTarget\" lang=\"en\" data-click-to-open-target=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MontereyBud\/status\/1112302203027554304\" data-iframe-title=\"Twitter Tweet\" data-scribe=\"page:tweet\" data-twitter-event-id=\"1\">\n<div class=\"EmbeddedTweet-tweetContainer\">\n<div class=\"EmbeddedTweet-tweet\">\n<blockquote class=\"Tweet h-entry js-tweetIdInfo subject expanded\" cite=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MontereyBud\/status\/1112302203027554304\" data-tweet-id=\"1112302203027554304\" data-scribe=\"section:subject\">\n<div class=\"Tweet-header\">\n<p>Last year,\u00a0<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u00a0laid out how absurdly difficult it is to do any<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-features\/why-is-it-so-hard-to-study-pot-124767\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-features\/why-is-it-so-hard-to-study-pot-124767\/\">\u00a0research with cannabis<\/a>, in spite of the DEA claiming they were \u201cstreamlining\u201d the research application process. The DEA essentially changed the application from mail-based to electronic, but, as\u00a0<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u00a0lays out, all of the other obstacles remain for researchers: approval from three agencies (the DEA, FDA, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse) and extra barriers to procurement.<\/p>\n<p>While various federal agencies hem-and-haw about a substance that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2018\/10\/08\/americans-support-marijuana-legalization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2018\/10\/08\/americans-support-marijuana-legalization\/\">over 60%<\/a>\u00a0of Americans support legalizing, veterans struggle every day and other countries like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/11\/20\/opinion\/cannabis-science-legal-marijuana-canada.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/11\/20\/opinion\/cannabis-science-legal-marijuana-canada.html\">Canada<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/health\/israel-cannabis-research-leader\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/merryjane.com\/health\/israel-cannabis-research-leader\">Israel<\/a>\u00a0are taking the lead on medicinal cannabis research. Even though dozens of states have legalized marijuana, and ten have gone as far as legalizing recreational adult use marijuana, veterans looking for care through the V.A. are being hamstrung by federal prohibition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ptsd.va.gov\/professional\/treat\/cooccurring\/marijuana_ptsd_vets.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.ptsd.va.gov\/professional\/treat\/cooccurring\/marijuana_ptsd_vets.asp\">states<\/a>\u00a0on its informational page for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that \u201cMarijuana use for medical conditions is an issue of growing concern [\u2026] There is no evidence at this time that marijuana is an effective treatment for PTSD. In fact, research suggests that marijuana can be harmful to individuals with PTSD.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At face value, the V.A.\u2019s stance may seem like a well-intentioned, if entirely\u00a0over-protective, approach to medical marijuana. Beneath the surface, though, the V.A.\u2019s reason for objecting fails under scrutiny. A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6007739\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6007739\/\">2018 review<\/a>\u00a0of five studies around veteran PTSD and medical marijuana use found that three of the five studies found\u2014shocker\u2014that \u201cconflicting data exist for the use of marijuana for PTSD,\u201d in large part, because, \u201ccurrent evidence is limited to anecdotal experiences, case reports, and observational studies.\u201d Unless the V.A. can see into the future to read Dr. Sisley\u2019s report, their argument that \u201cthere is no evidence\u201d for medical marijuana use for PTSD patients is only true because there is so little U.S.-based research into medical marijuana.<\/p>\n<p>As\u00a0<em>The Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0reported a few years ago, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/in-theory\/wp\/2017\/03\/15\/good-science-on-marijuana-is-so-hard-to-find\/?utm_term=.025d86587d83\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/in-theory\/wp\/2017\/03\/15\/good-science-on-marijuana-is-so-hard-to-find\/?utm_term=.025d86587d83\">dearth of methodologically-sound marijuana science<\/a>\u00a0is in large part because \u201cscientists must rely heavily on self-reporting from patients, making it extremely difficult to know how much, how often or through what means subjects use marijuana \u2014 let alone what type of chemicals they\u2019re ingesting alongside the drug.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The bulk of the attention on veteran\u2019s health centers around PTSD, but veterans suffer from disproportionately higher rates of other diseases, as well. Statistically, veterans had<a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/653059\/cancer-rates-among-us-adults-by-gender-and-military-background\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/653059\/cancer-rates-among-us-adults-by-gender-and-military-background\/\">\u00a0higher rates of cancer\u00a0<\/a>between 2015 and 2016, perhaps due to the exposure to carcinogenic and radioactive materials like \u201cAgent Orange\u201d in Vietnam and nuclear weapons. Furthermore, almost\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nccih.nih.gov\/research\/results\/spotlight\/veterans_pain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/nccih.nih.gov\/research\/results\/spotlight\/veterans_pain\">two-thirds<\/a>\u00a0of U.S. military veterans report chronic pain. Medical marijuana has a long history of helping treat these diseases, and it can provide a much\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5569620\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5569620\/\">safer approach<\/a>\u00a0to treatment than high-powered pharmaceuticals like opioids.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to mental health issues like PTSD and depression, the V.A.\u2019s current go-to-treatment is known as the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/connectingvets.radio.com\/articles\/combat-cocktail-are-pts-meds-doing-more-harm-good\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/connectingvets.radio.com\/articles\/combat-cocktail-are-pts-meds-doing-more-harm-good\">combat cocktail<\/a>,\u201d a mix of anti-depressants that can have dire side effects if not administered correctly. The V.A.\u2019s prohibition stance and reliance on antidepressants and opioids, however, is out of step with many veterans\u2019 experiences and desires for treatment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMore than two million veterans report using cannabis to treat their service-connected injuries according to surveys; anecdotally, hundreds of veterans have publicly testified that cannabis access has saved their lives after being driven to near-suicide under a pharmaceutical load of dozens of pills a day,\u201d Eric Goepel, CEO and Founder of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.veteranscannacoalition.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.veteranscannacoalition.org\/\">Veterans Cannabis Coalition<\/a>\u00a0told me. \u201cCurrent research supports the potential efficacy of cannabis in dozens of different applications, all of which could have direct positive impacts on overall veteran health. Whether for pain relief, as a sleep aid, or for help in overcoming stress and anxiety, so many veterans find relief in cannabis because it provides an alternative way to manage their conditions far better than a slew of toxic pharmaceuticals.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_915\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-wrap alignnone\">\n<div class=\"article-body-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thumbor.forbes.com\/thumbor\/960x0\/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fandrebourque%2Ffiles%2F2019%2F04%2FVV_Interview.jpg\" alt=\"Veterans Cannabis Coalition\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-image-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\" role=\"presentation\">Veterans Cannabis Coalition<\/p>\n<p><small class=\"article-photo-credit\">ERIC GOEPEL<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Speaking with\u00a0<em>The New York Times,\u00a0<\/em>Marcel Bonn-Miller, a psychologist who worked for years at the veterans\u2019 hospital, highlighted the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/07\/25\/us\/marijuana-veterans.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/07\/25\/us\/marijuana-veterans.html\">fundamental irony<\/a>\u00a0of the V.A.\u2019s relationship to marijuana research: \u201cWe have a disconnect in care. The V.A. has funded lots of marijuana studies, but not of therapeutic potential. All the work has been related to problems of use.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By working from the assumption that cannabis use is a disorder, the V.A. is ultimately creating another fracture in a broken system: the millions of veterans use cannabis are not able to integrate their cannabis use into their overall care plan with their doctors. As a result, the V.A.\u2019s prohibition is driving a wedge between veterans who prefer cannabis to psychotropic pharmaceuticals and doctors who are<a href=\"https:\/\/americanhomefront.wunc.org\/post\/medical-marijuana-becomes-more-accepted-veterans-urge-va-prescribe-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/americanhomefront.wunc.org\/post\/medical-marijuana-becomes-more-accepted-veterans-urge-va-prescribe-it\">\u00a0not allowed to recommend or prescribe cannabis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To illustrate how out-of-step the V.A. is with veterans, consider this recent survey from the American Legion: among veterans,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legion.org\/veteranshealthcare\/239814\/survey-shows-veteran-households-support-research-medical-cannabis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.legion.org\/veteranshealthcare\/239814\/survey-shows-veteran-households-support-research-medical-cannabis\">92% support<\/a>\u00a0research into medical cannabis and 83% support legalizing medical cannabis\u2014a much higher rate than the broader populace.<\/p>\n<p>When I spoke with Dr. John S. Abrams of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/fireflowertech.com\/team\/dr-john\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:http:\/\/fireflowertech.com\/team\/dr-john\/\">Fireflower Technologies, Inc<\/a>., he emphasized the importance of the DoD as a potential future partner for developing medicinal marijuana research: \u201cWhen it comes to the medicinal application of cannabis, I think the Department of Defense has been very interesting pathways and opportunities compared to the civilian side. Things can go faster potentially within the context of the military for deployment. I&#8217;m a big proponent of making sure that we keep the Department of Defense and their protocols and platforms in place as we push for medicinal cannabis development.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Veterans don\u2019t just stand to benefit from the use of cannabis, but also from investing and working in the industry itself.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Abrams also sees the military\u2019s training as a fantastic foundation for the burgeoning cannabis industry. \u201cThe military has this theme of train, train, train and replace. And I think that that&#8217;s immediately suited for the cannabis industry and for some of these processes that we need within the context of good manufacturing practice. Veterans already have a basis for good manufacturing practices that the marijuana industry needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, it seems that military personnel even being tangentially related to cannabis is a no-no, according to the Department of Defense. In March, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/money\/personal-finance\/owning-marijuana-company-stocks-could-endanger-your-security-clearance.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.military.com\/money\/personal-finance\/owning-marijuana-company-stocks-could-endanger-your-security-clearance.html\">DoD began circulating notices<\/a>\u00a0that informed military officials that the \u201cDoD Central Adjudication Facility [CAF] negatively views personal investment (i.e. stock purchases) in companies that manufacture\/sell\/distribute marijuana. This means your security clearance may be negatively affected if you own stock in such companies.\u201d This stance creates an extra financial barrier for military officials who may not know whether the market index funds, mutual funds, and ETFs that they invested in contain cannabis stocks. (They\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/30-marijuana-stocks-buy-future-191117665.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/30-marijuana-stocks-buy-future-191117665.html\">probably do<\/a>\u2014cannabis stocks are exploding right now.)<\/p>\n<p>For the veterans who have left the military health and finance system behind, these barriers can be more easily overcome. But for the millions of active duty and reserve troops and officials, the scientific blacklisting and broader cannabis prohibition in the lives of veterans has already wrought damage that will have repercussions for generations to come.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe bottom line is that cannabis prohibition is killing veterans,\u201d Goepel said, \u201cthrough the stigma that prevents veterans from exploring cannabis as an alternative, through denying the medical value of cannabis and blocking research, and through criminalizing basic self-care. We need more than empty rhetoric\u2014we need action now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Companies like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/emeraldscientific.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/emeraldscientific.com\/\">Emerald Scientific<\/a>\u00a0are helping facilitate this charter\u00a0in bringing the topic front-and-center at its prestigious\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemeraldconference.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.theemeraldconference.com\/\">Emerald Science Conference<\/a>. The company issued $10,000 in funding from proceeds of its 1st annual Emerald Classic Charity Golf Tournament to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vetscp.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.vetscp.org\/\">Veterans Cannabis Project<\/a>\u00a0(VCP).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_917\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-wrap alignnone\">\n<div class=\"article-body-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thumbor.forbes.com\/thumbor\/960x0\/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fandrebourque%2Ffiles%2F2019%2F04%2F10K-VCP-1200x871.jpg\" alt=\"$10,000 Donation to the Veterans Cannabis Project, Emerald Science Conference 2019 | (left to right) Doug Distaso, Veterans Cannabis Project; Wes Burk, Emerald Scientific; Andre Bourque, Forbes\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-image-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\" role=\"presentation\">$10,000 Donation to the Veterans Cannabis Project, Emerald Science Conference 2019 | (left to right) Doug Distaso, Veterans Cannabis Project; Wes Burk, Emerald Scientific; Andre Bourque, Forbes<\/p>\n<p><small class=\"article-photo-credit\">ANDRE BOURQUE<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Science has proven that cannabis has a wide array of medical benefits that can directly improve the lives of our veterans, however, we recognize the obstacles they face in accessing cannabis as a viable treatment,&#8221; Emerald Scientific\u00a0President, Wes Burk told me.\u00a0&#8220;Organizations like the Veterans Cannabis Project (VCP)\u00a0take veterans to Capitol Hill to tell their stories, they educate them on how to navigate the VA when using cannabis, and they have introduced a protocol to the VA to treat traumatic brain injury in the field.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Long overdue<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hopefully, one of the many\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gabbard.house.gov\/news\/press-releases\/photos-video-reps-tulsi-gabbard-and-don-young-introduce-landmark-bipartisan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/gabbard.house.gov\/news\/press-releases\/photos-video-reps-tulsi-gabbard-and-don-young-introduce-landmark-bipartisan\">marijuana reform bills<\/a>\u00a0that have been introduced in Congress will make its way through both houses in a bipartisan approval and change the way the V.A. treats cannabis use and open up researcher\u2019s access to cannabis.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Scientists, doctors, and your military veterans are screaming for leadership on this subject, in hopes that this plant might be taken seriously and given the deep scientific research it deserves,&#8221;\u00a0Doug Distaso, executive director of the Veterans Cannabis Project said.\u00a0&#8220;We hope that happens. Veteran lives depend on it. We are literally dying for it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Retrieved from: https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/andrebourque\/2019\/04\/15\/how-cannabis-prohibition-is-killing-veterans\/?fbclid=IwAR2BeSFs7XCZQb7WiBvaOeIsGDTujBYbP1FWxDPylKPFWQh4ABWl2tiiWA8#49dfd70d21<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apr 15, 2019, 07:50am How Cannabis Prohibition Is Harming Veterans Suffering From PTSD And Other Ailments GETTY IMAGES The scientific blacklisting of cannabis hurts veterans especially hard. Cannabis research Studying cannabis is really, really, difficult in the United States. Just ask Dr. Sue Sisley, who has spent the last ten &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[233,617],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advocacy","category-cannabis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lutzlivetotell.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}