Straight Answers: What The Grateful Veteran Will and Will Not Do

I started The Grateful Veteran in 2018 because I watched too many veterans get a runaround from people who promised more than they could deliver. So before you read anything else on this site, I want you to know exactly what we are and what we are not.

What we will do

• Give you a straight answer. If we know, we will tell you. If we do not, we will say so and find out.
• Explain the process in plain language. Florida's medical marijuana program, the state registry, the card, the renewal, and how federal law and VA policy differ. No jargon, no sales pitch.
• Connect you to the right people. Participating physicians, county veteran service officers, crisis lines, peer groups, local posts. Our resource directory exists so you never have to start from zero.
• Help with the cost when we can. When a sponsored campaign is active, the state card fee and a physician visit may be covered for approved applicants. Every campaign has its own eligibility, and we will tell you what it is up front.
• Show up. The Red, White & Blue Tour, Coffee & Conversations, and the follow-up call after your appointment. Presence is the program.

What we will not do

• We will not diagnose, prescribe, or tell you to stop a medication. We are educators and navigators, not clinicians. The physician makes every medical decision.
• We will not guarantee you a card, a certification, or a result. Anyone who does is not being honest with you.
• We will not prepare, file, or represent your VA claim. That work belongs to accredited representatives, and we will point you to them.
• We will not blur the law. Florida law, federal law, VA policy, and federal firearms law are four different things. We keep them separate every time, because the consequences of mixing them up land on you, not on us.
• We will not sell you anything to get help. Our education and navigation are free. The shop supports the mission; it is never a condition of it.

Why we hold these lines

Because trust is earned by being clear about your limits, not by promising the moon. A veteran who has been let down before does not need another organization overselling itself. They need one that does exactly what it says, and says exactly what it does.

That is the standard. If we ever fall short of it, I want to hear about it directly. Contact us and it will reach me.

Jeff DeMond
Founder & President, The Grateful Veteran

The Grateful Veteran is a Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Promoting Change Through Education.