Veterans Cannabis Coalition

Eric Goepel is the founder and CEO of the Veterans Cannabis Coalition, an independent, self-funded advocacy group dedicated to ending cannabis prohibition and ensuring the Department of Veterans Affairs researches and develops cannabis-based medications.

Eric grew up in Southern California and enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18. He served for seven years, providing communications and intelligence support in the special operations community, with deployments to Iraq twice and once to the Philippines. After his enlistment, Eric worked as a defense contractor in Afghanistan before returning to the U.S. to complete his bachelor’s degree. Through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, he graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in political science.

During and after college, Eric held various policy analysis and advocacy roles in Washington, D.C., including serving as a legislative fellow in Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office. Before founding the Veterans Cannabis Coalition, he was the assistant director of the American Legion’s National Security Division, where he developed positions on the opioid crisis, cybersecurity, and transnational organized crime for the country’s largest wartime veteran association. His national security writings have appeared in U.S. News & World Report, Defense One, and the National Interest.

Eric’s conviction about the need for cannabis as a pain management alternative, especially for veterans at risk of suicide and overdose, grew during his work on federal opioid response policies. After months of discussion with fellow Iraq veteran and D.C. colleague Bill Ferguson, Eric and Bill decided to establish the Veterans Cannabis Coalition to unite the veteran community and advocate effectively for cannabis reform.

Today, VCC operates in Washington, D.C., California, and collaborates with veteran leaders nationwide to organize, educate, and advocate for veterans and all patients. Veterans’ issues are American issues; while the challenges in the veteran community may be amplified, they are not unique. Veterans provide a unifying message of compassion and access, which VCC is committed to ensuring across the country.

https://www.veteranscannacoalition.org

Click here to go back to our Library!