While most of us have heard of the STATES Act and the SAFE Banking Act, fewer of us have heard of the Veterans Administration Research Act, of which U.S. Congresswoman Deb Haaland is a sponsor. As the daughter of two service members, Haaland believes that it is essential to go out, talk to veterans, and ask them what they want; what you’ll find is that, by and large, veterans want cannabis as an option for their chronic pain and PTSD. Haaland also touches upon how vastly under-represented Native Americans are not only in politics, but also in sports, film, business, and much more. Haaland reminds us that “so much of our information rests on what the media decides to cover”, so if we want to change minds, it is our responsibility to personally spread the word.
Seth Adler: US Congresswoman Deb Haaland joins us. Welcome to Cannabis Economy, I'm your host, Seth Adler. Download episodes on canneconomy.com, that's two N's and the word economy, or wherever you currently get your podcasts. Over at canneconomy.com, we've got a ton more information. We've got one-on-ones on specific cannabinoids. We've got 2018 research supplements, to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report from 2017, and we've got of course direct insight from leaders in policy, science and business.
Seth Adler: First word from Bedrocan and then US Congresswoman Deb Haaland.
Seth Adler: Bedrocan is a patient-driven, global pharmaceutical-minded cannabis company. Their entire end-to-end process is GMP-certified through Dutch and ultimately European authorities. Bedrocan is the market leader in Europe for medical cannabis, and has been the sole supplier to the Dutch government for 16 years. Through the Dutch government, Bedrocan provides product to 15 countries currently. As a science based company, Bedrocan invests in clinical research.
Seth Adler: Leiden University conducted a double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on fibromyalgia with Bedrocan products, which yielded promising results. They're now working on a follow-up to that study. Bedrocan is also working on the extent to which cannabis can reduce our reliability on opioids.
Seth Adler: Bedrocan believes that clinical research is key for the future of the company, standardized product, the industry, and the patient. Visit Bedrocan.com for more information.
Deb Haaland: Deb Haaland, like the country.
Seth Adler: Oh, that is not what I anticipated.
Deb Haaland: It's Norwegian, it's my dad's name.
Seth Adler: Oh, because of your dad. Exactly. Both of your parents were in the military.
Deb Haaland: Indeed they were. My dad was a 30 year career Marine and my mom was a Navy veteran. Back then if you got pregnant, you had to get out of the Navy. She got married, got pregnant and she had to leave the Navy. I think nowadays, women can ...
Seth Adler: We have alt-
Deb Haaland: Yeah, they can walk and chew gum at the same time. Multitask, so to speak.
Seth Adler: I think they could then, too, congresswoman.
Deb Haaland: Oh, absolutely. No, my mom single-handedly ran our household, with four kids and, and really my dad probably wouldn't have become an officer without her.
Seth Adler: Okay.
Deb Haaland: Yeah.
Seth Adler: That's very believable.
Deb Haaland: She worked just as hard as he did.
Seth Adler: Understanding the relationships that I know from my life, that's very believable. It would seem that it, at least in part, this would be a conservative household.
Deb Haaland: Indeed. I believe my dad was a Republican. I know we voted for George Bush.
Seth Adler: The father or the son?
Deb Haaland: My dad. No, both.
Seth Adler: Okay. All right. Yeah, no, that would make them probably a Republican. Okay. That's a conservative household. How then would you come out as this cannabis proponent, really?
Deb Haaland: When I first registered to vote, I registered as an independent. I knew I wasn't along the lines of my parents, but yet I was very politically naive. Then once I realized I'm a Democrat, I just switched.
Seth Adler: Yeah, I guess let's do this, because I'd rather no parties, but that's just me. What was it about what they were supporting that you didn't support, and what did you see that made you go into the other camp, I guess?
Deb Haaland: Right. I'll be honest with you, I registered as an independent when I was 18, and I voted. My parents voted for Reagan. I voted for Reagan my first election.
Seth Adler: Lots of people did. He got almost every state.
Deb Haaland: I was with my brother and some of his friends one time, his college friends. I didn't go to college right away, I didn't go to college until I was 28, so I was still young and naive. I was hanging out with these people, and my brother's girlfriend called Reagan a warmonger and I was like, Reagan's a warmonger? I was like-
Seth Adler: That had not occurred to me.
Deb Haaland: ... how could I have voted for a warmonger? Then I realized I'm not a Republican. It's like, okay, light bulb goes off, do my homework and start reading more.
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