New Board Positions
Peachtree NORML is adding some Board Positions. The first is Director of Veteran Affairs. Veterans are an important part of this movement. The issue of PTSD is of paramount concern to us. Veteran suicides are often related to PTSD.
While we recognize that PTSD is not limited to veterans, we believe that veterans should be on the front lines in getting PTSD added to the authorized conditions for Georgia’s low-THC oil law in the 2017-2018 legislative session.
Rick Raines Steps Up
When I asked Rick about serving on the Board of Directors, there was no hesitation in his answer. He immediately said, “Yes”.
Rick is an RPTA and practices physical therapy in West Central Georgia. He first joined NORML in 1976 after graduating from high school. After working a few years in the textile industry, he joined the US Army as a Cavalry Scout and served overseas in Korea.
After his service, he attended physical therapy school in Tennessee and graduated in 1987. Treating patients with pain, spasticity, and the depression chronic pain causes can be frustrating especially when he saw the long, expensive list of medications they were prescribed. This was the nexus for him to begin researching Medical Cannabis about ten years ago.
Attending the First Annual Cannabis Conference in Atlanta he met and found great hope and inspiration in Sharon Ravert, Dean Sines, and Kelley Hammock which removed any doubt or fear about where his new focus in life would be. He has been an active Member of Peachtree NORML since 2014 and serves as President/Treasurer of the Mid-Georgia Chapter in Macon.
As a healthcare professional and Veteran, he is committed to sharing the truth and knowledge with the citizens of Georgia that cannabis is indeed medicine and is helping tens of millions of citizens across this nation with minimum side effects.
Rick also recognizes the insanity and injustice in jailing Georgia citizens for possession of small amounts of cannabis. He supports legislation to decriminalize cannabis possession in Georgia.
The First Step
In 2015 the American Legion passed a resolution urging both the DEA and the U.S. Congress to alter their approaches to cannabis use and research, believing that the substance could be of medical benefit to veterans. Peachtree NORML is reaching out to the Georgia Division of the American Legion to enlist their help in effecting legislation to add PTSD to the authorized conditions in Georgia.
We will also try to involve the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.
What Can You Do?
If you want to get involved in our efforts with PTSD, we are seeking volunteers who can make calls, write letters and more. Contact Rick Raines at rick@peachtreenorml.org or you can contact me at director@peachtreenorml.org. We’ll put you to work.
Way to go, Rick Raines! He will make a great board member.
And …The Surge Continues.