The War on Drugs25 Mar 2025

Access to Medicine feat. Liz Carmouche

The champion MMA fighter and Marine Corps veteran is no stranger to pain - both dishing it out and taking it. Hear her take on the ongoing War on Drugs, and what the lack of coherent federal policy means for our community of Veterans, athletes and others dealing with high-level pain management - how she has found positive results managing her own pain with CBD, to the point where her brain scans show a marked drop-off in inflammation since her use of cannabinoids, and even recovered from surgery without any use of traditional pharmaceutical painkillers. Meanwhile the VA, taking its cues from the Federal policy, is not even allowed to discuss these alternate treatments with its patients, often forcing Veterans down the path of pharmaceuticals with the risk of addiction and other consequences.

A new episode of The War on Drugs will be available every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.

Veteran suicide remains a serious issue. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 17.6 veterans die by suicide each day. Source: VA News

CBD exists in a legal gray area. The FDA has not approved CBD for general medical use and many states heavily restrict or even ban CBD products - including those that can't get you high. Source: PBS News

Studies show that veterans are at higher risk of opioid overdose compared to the general population. This underscores the urgent need for safer pain management alternatives. Relevant studies: Saving Lives: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Rapid Naloxone Initiative; Changing Trends in Opioid Overdose Deaths and Prescription Opioid Receipt Among Veterans; VA Fact Sheet (CSPEAR) on Opioid Use Disorder

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), prescription medications including painkillers, are provided to eligible veterans at low or no costs. Meanwhile, CBD products are not covered by VA healthcare and must be paid for out-of-pocket. Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; VA Copay Rates

The War on Drugs is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts and Stand Together Music in association with Signal Co. No1.

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Episoder(33)

The Next Steps Are On Us

This season, we heard from artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs who’ve lived the consequences of the War on Drugs. But what’s next? In the finale, Greg and Clayton look at the biggest takeaways from t...

13 Mai 202519min

Recovery Isn't One-Size-Fits-All feat. Brent Smith

Shinedown frontman Brent Smith knows addiction. He’s lived it, fought through it, and come out the other side. But his journey wasn’t a straight line—and that’s the point. In this episode, Brent talks...

6 Mai 202543min

Advocating for Small Businesses feat. Benny the Butcher

The Buffalo-born rapper and entrepreneur explains the difference between the weed business and the cannabis industry- how is this semi-legal system working for people trying to come off the sidelines ...

29 Apr 202546min

Fighting Off Pain feat. Riley Cote

Like Episode 3 guest Liz Carmouche, former NHL enforcer Riley Cote knows something about pain. And also about the problematic cycles of machismo and stigma that can prevent people from seeking out ce...

22 Apr 202546min

Permission to Change Your Mind feat. John Osborne

Grammy-winning musician John Osborne never imagined he’d turn to psychedelics. But when he went through a mental health breakdown, they saved his life. A skeptic turned advocate, John shares how psilo...

15 Apr 202550min

The Business of Big Cannabis feat. B-Real

Lead MC of the legendary Cypress Hill, B-Real grew up in LA at the height of the drug war, initially on the street hustling side of things. Music took him out of that life, but when California began t...

8 Apr 202539min

Mental Health, Finding Sobriety, and the Power of Community. feat. Marcus King

Marcus King grew up in Greenville, SC, watching people around him get written off—criminalized instead of helped, cast aside instead of supported. His own story could have gone the same way. Instead, ...

1 Apr 202539min