Show Notes
The champion MMA fighter and Marine Corps veteran is no stranger to pain - both dishing it out and taking it. Hear her take on the ongoing War on Drugs, and what the lack of coherent federal policy means for our community of Veterans, athletes and others dealing with high-level pain management - how she has found positive results managing her own pain with CBD, to the point where her brain scans show a marked drop-off in inflammation since her use of cannabinoids, and even recovered from surgery without any use of traditional pharmaceutical painkillers. Meanwhile the VA, taking its cues from the Federal policy, is not even allowed to discuss these alternate treatments with its patients, often forcing Veterans down the path of pharmaceuticals with the risk of addiction and other consequences. A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts. Veteran suicide remains a serious issue. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 17.6 veterans die by suicide each day. Source: VA News CBD exists in a legal gray area. The FDA has not approved CBD for general medical use and many states heavily restrict or even ban CBD products - including those that can't get you high. Source: PBS News Studies show that veterans are at higher risk of opioid overdose compared to the general population. This underscores the urgent need for safer pain management alternatives. Relevant studies: Saving Lives: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Rapid Naloxone Initiative; Changing Trends in Opioid Overdose Deaths and Prescription Opioid Receipt Among Veterans; VA Fact Sheet (CSPEAR) on Opioid Use Disorder According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), prescription medications including painkillers, are provided to eligible veterans at low or no costs. Meanwhile, CBD products are not covered by VA healthcare and must be paid for out-of-pocket. Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; VA Copay Rates The War on Drugs is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts and Stand Together Music in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from The War on Drugs
When teenager Robin Murphy goes missing, her friends and co-workers organize a search. Award-winning investigative journalist and longtime Rolling Stone Magazine contributor Paul Solotaroff hosts the next entry in the acclaimed Bone Valley anthology. To hear this episode in its entirety, search for Bone Valley Season 6 | The Devil's Quarry II wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes are available every Wednesday. Listeners can hear new episodes ad-free by subscribing to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts. The Devil’s Quarry II is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If Season 1 of The Devil’s Quarry was a horror story, Season 2 is a ghost story. More than 30 years after 17-year-old Robin Murphy vanished from Carmel, New York, investigative journalist Paul Solotaroff and reporter Kathleen Horan plunge into the cold case that has haunted the community for decades. Robin was last seen with a convicted violent predator who was never charged in her disappearance. Now, as the original case file is reopened, new witnesses emerge, old evidence is reconsidered, and the search for Robin enters its most critical chapter. Can the truth finally be uncovered before time runs out? Or will one of New York’s most haunting mysteries remain a ghost story forever? Award-winning investigative journalist and longtime Rolling Stone Magazine contributor Paul Solotaroff hosts the latest entry in the acclaimed Bone Valley anthology: The Devil's Quarry II starting September 30. Listeners can listen ad-free by subscribing to Lava for Good+ on Apple Podcasts. Bone Valley Season 6: The Devil’s Quarry II is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This season, we heard from artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs who’ve lived the consequences of the War on Drugs. But what’s next? In the finale, Greg and Clayton look at the biggest takeaways from these conversations and break down what we can all do to push for change. A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts. The War on Drugs is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts and Stand Together Music in association with Signal Co. No1. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Shinedown frontman Brent Smith knows addiction. He’s lived it, fought through it, and come out the other side. But his journey wasn’t a straight line—and that’s the point. In this episode, Brent talks about breaking free from one-size-fits-all recovery models, the role of community in overcoming addiction, and why drug policy needs to be about support, not punishment.
The Buffalo-born rapper and entrepreneur explains the difference between the weed business and the cannabis industry- how is this semi-legal system working for people trying to come off the sidelines and out of the black market and criminal justice pipeline and do it legitimately? How can we ensure those people get to play the game and aren’t thrown right back into the underground by a system that favors deep-pocketed corporate players? Benny strikes a positive optimistic tone as he talks about the need for a collective of smaller sized business owners, and the need for a coherent national policy to realize the promise of the early progress of legalization and decriminalization. A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.