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Veteran Group Fights To Save Cannabis Dispensary From Closing

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Veteran Group Fights To Save Cannabis Dispensary From Closing

Veterans have managed to keep a dispensary that serves their community from closing. However, the battle isn’t over.

One of California’s most well-known medical marijuana dispensaries is in a precarious position. New legal changes could force the shop to close down. But as a veteran group fights to save the cannabis dispensary, there is still a chance it could survive.

Jayden’s Journey Dispensary

The famous dispensary is called Jayden’s Journey. Located in Modesto, California, the shop was created after the owner started using medical marijuana to treat his son’s severe epilepsy.

Since then, it’s become a safe haven for military veterans. In fact, a huge number of the shop’s regular customers are veterans. But now, those veterans could lose their go-to source of medication.

Interestingly, legalization is the force that could squeeze Jayden’s Journey out of business. According to local news sources, when recreational weed became legal in California, existing dispensaries had to apply for new licenses.

From there, local governments reviewed all applications. And only shops that met the state’s new requirements were granted the licenses needed to stay in business.

And that’s where things fell apart for Jayden’s Journey. According to Stanislaus County officials, the dispensary did not satisfy new licensing requirements.

“Each application (including Jayden’s Journey) was evaluated in comparison to the County’s published criteria,” the county said in a statement. “To pass this phase of the process, applicants had to demonstrate that they met a minimum of 80% of the published criteria.”

The county said Jayden’s Journey only met 63 percent of those requirements. As a result, the shop was told it would have to close down.

But a group of veterans and other people linked to the dispensary decided to take action. A group of veterans began inviting lawmakers to visit a support group to see what medical marijuana means to them. Additionally, veterans and others have been working to keep the dispensary open.

The shop was originally ordered to close on June 30. And on June 29, the dispensary’s owner made an appeal to a special panel. As a result of these efforts, the county said the shop could stay open until July 15.

Veteran Group Fights To Save Cannabis Dispensary

So far, veterans and others involved with Jayden’s Journey have won a small victory. But they only secured a 15-day extension. As it stands, the shop will still have to close by the middle of the month.

But those already fighting to keep the shop open have made clear that they don’t plan on giving up.

The issue of medical marijuana and veterans’ healthcare has been a big one in recent years. Much of the debate revolves around whether or not the VA should provide vets access to it.

Traditionally, veterans have had to rely on prescriptions from their doctors to treat PTSD, chronic pain, and other problems relating to their military time. And often, those prescriptions are for dangerous and highly addictive opioid painkillers.

Around the country, veterans have raised concerns with this. That’s especially true in the face of the U.S.’s ongoing opioid epidemic. Many veterans say they’d prefer using medical cannabis.

Research has shown that medical marijuana could provide a safer, non-addictive way to treat things like PTSD and chronic pain. Additionally, some researchers have said that cannabis could actually help people wean off of opioid addictions.

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