CASSELBERRY, Fla. — Veterans Cannabis Care (VCC) and DocMJ launched a collaboration that will provide veterans with 100-percent free coverage of physician certification costs and Florida’s required state registration fees.
This is not a discount initiative or limited-time campaign, according to VCC founder Robb Harmon. VCC has funded free access since its founding. The partnership with DocMJ strengthens the clinical infrastructure behind that mission, allowing more veterans across Florida to be evaluated and certified at no cost.
Veterans often navigate chronic pain, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, sleep disorders, and other service-related conditions. Some report cannabis medicine is effective in helping them cope. But because cannabis remains federally prohibited, Veterans Administration physicians cannot prescribe or formally recommend the plant. Instead, Florida veterans must enter the state’s regulated program independently and pay out of pocket.
For many, those upfront costs are the barrier. VCC was created to remove that barrier. To date, the nonprofit has self-funded more than 1,000 free certifications and helped guide more than 8,000 patients through the medical cannabis process an affiliated clinical network. The partnership with DocMJ expands that reach by leveraging one of the state’s largest physician-led cannabis practices. Since 2016, DocMJ has conducted more than 400,000 patient visits and built a broad clinical footprint across Florida.
“This has everything to do with dignity,” said Harmon. “Veterans shouldn’t have to fight another battle just to access care. We’ve already seen what happens when the financial barrier is removed. People get help.”
With suicide rates among veterans significantly higher than the civilian population and many veterans living on fixed incomes, access to alternative treatment options can be out of reach. By combining nonprofit funding with expanded physician availability, the collaboration ensures 100 percent of physician evaluation fees are covered, 100 percent of Florida state registration fees are covered, and expanded appointment availability statewide.
