A commitment to supporting the UK’s military community and veterans – known as the Armed Forces Covenant – has been signed by the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC).
The signed pledge states: “We commit to uphold the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the contribution that Service personnel, both regular and reservist, veterans and military families make to our organisation, our community and to the country.”
The CIC joins over 11,000 other organisations across the country backing the Covenant. The CIC has committed to upholding the principles of the Covenant in a range of ways, including:
- Promotion: promoting they are an Armed Forces-friendly organisation to staff, members, suppliers, contractors and the wider public.
- Employment: supporting the employment of veterans, recognising military skills and qualifications in their recruitment and selection process.
- Health: advocating for access to and use of vital medicines and wellbeing products to support veterans, particularly those with PTSD, depression, disabilities, and chronic pain.
- National events: supporting Armed Forces Day, Reserves Day, the Poppy Appeal Day and Remembrance activities.
- Education: providing outreach to help educate veterans of the medicines legally available to them to help improve their mental and physical wellbeing.
CIC Co-Chairs Jamie Bartley and Dr Callie Seaman commented:
“The Cannabis Industry Council is delighted to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
“The UK armed forces, particularly veterans, are rightly admired across society for their passion, skill, and sense of duty.
“The CIC aims to raise awareness of the significant contribution of our veterans, and to advocate for their access to vital medicines for treating conditions such as PTSD and chronic pain.”
There are around 2.4 million veterans, according to the Office for National Statistics. Some 25% of veterans say they are not healthy. Veterans are also notably more likely to have PTSD than members of the general public.
The Armed Forces Act 2011 enshrined the Covenant in law. The Act also imposed a legal duty on the provision of NHS primary and secondary care, to ensure members of the Armed Forces are not disadvantaged, and that they can receive ‘special provision’ where appropriate.
For more information on the Covenant, please visit www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk
