Vote YES to support PTSD programs for veterans

Meet Don Martinez

RET. Captain U.S. Army

In 2008, after my second deployment to Iraq, I was medically retired from the Army for injuries sustained during combat. Cannabis has been a life-changer for me and my fellow vets in our recovery from combat injuries and TBI. Please join me in voting YES to bring recreational cannabis sales to Colorado Springs. I'm excited to know a portion of the tax revenues will provide additional services for vets, like me, who still struggle with PTSD.

Vote YES for our veterans

Colorado Springs is home to over 80,000 veterans. Many of whom returned home with PTSD and TBI, hidden injuries that make their return to life back home more difficult. By voting YES to end the prohibition of recreational cannabis sales, we can dedicate millions of dollars every year to providing PTSD programs for our veterans — ensuring that our American heroes have access to the care they need to live their lives to the fullest.

Cannabis and the Military

The Pentagon has gone on the record numerous times to reiterate that the military does not make decisions on military installations, resources, or programs based on where cannabis is or isn’t legal. Tom Crosson, a former spokesperson for the Pentagon, went on record in the Colorado Springs Business Journal by stating “We won’t move assets out of states where it [cannabis] is now legal”.

The proof is also in the pudding. Since recreational cannabis sales have been legal in Washington, the Pentagon has invested an additional $150 million in funding for Joint Base Lewis-McChord making the installation a key asset in our military’s cyber warfare capabilities.

Allowing recreational cannabis sales in Colorado Springs will not impact our relationship with the military. However, it will ensure our city is an even better place for our veterans to call home by providing critical services to them for their fight against PTSD.

Supporting our Veterans

In 2021 El Paso County led Colorado in suicides. Sadly, 30% of those who took their life were either active duty or former military. As a community with such a strong military tradition, it’s important that we support our veterans by providing access to the resources and programs they need to overcome the challenges their time in service and combat has placed at their feet.

When we vote YES to end the prohibition of recreational cannabis sales in Colorado Springs and to bring our tax dollars home, we will be able to provide millions of dollars every year to fund PTSD programs for veterans in our community. These dollars will help ensure that our local heroes who paid a price for their service to our country have access to the treatments they need to regain what they lost and to live their life to the fullest.