“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” Douglas McArthur
The numbers don’t lie. And the numbers say there were more than 6,000 veteran suicides annually between 2008 and 2017, according to the 2019 Veterans Suicide Prevention Annual Report. While suicide, PTSD and depression are ongoing problems for veterans, others can be just as damaging, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), substance use disorder, and interpersonal violence.
Research published this year in the journal Clinical Therapeutics asked 510 veterans about cannabis use and its effects and found that 38% suffered from chronic pain, 26% PTSD, 9% anxiety and 5% depression. More than half of the veterans who participated in the survey had served in Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan and Korea. Up to 91% of respondents confirmed that medical marijuana helped them achieve a better quality of life.
Benzinga wanted to learn more about how medical marijuana is helping veterans, so we spoke with Asad Shalami, a former member of the United States military who was diagnosed with chronic insomnia due to PTSD. Shalami is a co-founder of ZAR Wellness, a cannabis brand that offers both CBD and THC products. He co-founded the company after CBD helped him with his insomnia.
“To Czar Wellness, we focus on the medicinal value of the plant for ailments such as sleep, pain, anxiety, PTSD and many more,” Shalami told Benzinga. “We focus on bringing out high quality products that are effective for the mentioned diseases. We take our time with our customers to understand what they are dealing with and recommend the right products and dosages for them. We also follow up with our clients to ensure they are receiving optimal benefits from their regimen.”
Helping veterans
ZAR Wellness operates 24 retail locations throughout Texas and ships nationwide. It has certified cannabis consultants at its retail and online locations. Over the past three years, the company has given away more than $2 million in veteran discounts and offers a 22% daily discount to the 1/3 of its customers who are veterans.
“22 is specific and important to us because, unfortunately, twenty-two veterans take their own lives every day. I have lost four young friends and colleagues in the army to suicide,” Shalami said. “Not to mention, I almost became part of that statistic.”
The company is working on a cannabis dispensing machine (the ZAR BOX) that is equipped with AI technology that ensures that the person making the purchase is the same as the ID card inserted in the machine and is of legal age . Shalami says it’s in the testing phase, but once it’s finished it will be introduced to bars, restaurants, arenas, airports and other places.
ZAR Wellness is about to launch a franchise model.
“Our ultimate goal is to provide high-quality, affordable cannabis therapy to all of the nation’s veterans to enjoy the benefits of the cannabis plant for their physical and mental challenges,” Shalami said.
Full spectrum tincture for chronic insomnia
Shalami received his training as a combat medic, after which he was stationed in Germany where he worked at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Ramstein Air Force Base. The hospital treats wounded service members, primarily from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, who need to stabilize before returning to the US.
“It was in 2011 when I was working twelve-hour night shifts that I developed and was diagnosed with chronic insomnia,” Shalami recalls. “I was given several different pills that over time became more and more ineffective and caused other problems because of their side effects.”
Discharged in 2018, Shalami heard about CBD in 2019 on the local news about an ex-cop who had opened a CBD shop in Fort Worth that the local DA was trying to shut down. At the time, hemp was legal federally, but not in Texas.
“This man was begging the authorities not to shut down his business because his products were helping his colleagues who were still on the force with their stress, anxiety, pain and sleep,” Shalami said. “At that point in my life, I had tried everything over the counter and prescription for sleep without success.”
Although initially skeptical, he tried the morning and evening full-spectrum sublingual tincture concurrently with his prescribed medications. After about a week, he slowly weaned off the drugs and took only the tincture.
“I stopped taking any of the pills shortly after and was getting a very restful night’s sleep with my hemp-derived full-spectrum oil,” Shalami said. “The beauty of a full-spectrum oil is that it contains many beneficial compounds from the hemp plant to provide that surrounding effect to build that balance or homeostasis in your endocannabinoid system.”
No need to increase
Shalami noted that finding relief in cannabis doesn’t necessarily mean getting high.
“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said. “We have many non-psychoactive products that our customers who are working professionals or mothers who take care of their children use during the day for their anxiety, stress, pain, PTSD / depression, etc. without psychoactivity. The hemp plant has more than two -hundreds of compounds, each of which has its own healing abilities and properties, and only a handful of them are psychoactive,” Shalami said.
“At ZAR Wellness, our goal is not to bulk you up, but to improve your daily quality of life and help you live your best life.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal feelings, the Military/Veteran Crisis Line is available 24/7: dial 988 then press 1, live chat or text text to 838255.
Photo: Courtesy of Nicky �🌿🐞🌿� from Pixabay
