Biography
Roger is a proud Veteran of the United States Army who has been coping with chronic pain since the 1970’s. He credits cannabis with having saved his life in 2010, by helping him overcome a ten year dependency on dangerous prescription drugs, including Oxycontin and Ambien.
In addition to his military service, Roger has a background in law enforcement. As a result, it was not easy for him to accept the fact that, like most Americans, he had been duped into believing that cannabis was a dangerous drug. He blames greedy politicians, driven by the billions of dollars in “contributions” they receive from pharmaceutical companies, for deceiving the American public about the true benefits of cannabis.
Inspired by encounters with fellow Veterans suffering from PTSD and other serious medical conditions, Roger began offering free cannabis to Vets in March 2013. In January 2014, he formalized his efforts by establishing Grow for Vets U.S.A.; a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Since then, Grow for Vets U.S.A. has provided more than $1M of free cannabis to thousands of the bravest among us. Grow for Vets U.S.A. currently operates chapters in several states.
Roger strongly believes that cannabis should be the first treatment option offered to Veterans suffering with serious medical conditions. Driven by the fact that more than fifty American heroes die each day from prescription drug overdose and suicide, Roger works tirelessly to convince VA administrators, elected officials, medical professionals, and the public at large that cannabis is a much safer treatment option for Veterans than are deadly prescription drug cocktails.
Since founding Grow for Vets U.S.A., Roger has had the honor of meeting thousands of brave Americans who have chosen to treat their medical conditions with the medicine that works best for them – cannabis.
When asked why he decided to spend his “retirement” giving free cannabis to Veterans, Roger cites the disgraceful number of needless Veteran deaths being caused by deadly prescription drugs. He believes that, “We owe American heroes better.”
Roger describes serving as the Executive Director of Grow for Vets as “the most humbling and rewarding experience” of his life.
A strong voice for the fair and ethical treatment of Veterans, Roger can be contacted
directly at: roger@growforvets.org.