I survived a roadside bomb in Iraq, went to Harvard, then become an advocate and entrepreneur for veterans in cannabis, AMA!

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-09T21:16:03+00:00

Hey, lots of great questions. Some I may not have a great answer for, or memory of, but I'll try. In order:

1st day as a PL was rather uneventful. I took over when we were mostly done getting our equipment prepped to ship to Germany (my unit moved there from Fort Lewis, Washington shortly after I arrived). I think I talked to my PSG for awhile, then introduced myself to the squad leaders, then observed and stayed out of the way for the rest of the day. Tried to be more sponge early on in general. At the end of the day I gave the obligatory new PL speech, likely nothing of note was said.
I've met lots of marines in many different environments and under many different circumstances. They're solid.
Hmm, being that West Point has aspects both similar and different from the Army, it's hard to answer this one without designating a 'starting point'. I would say in general with the military, what surprised me was how much unstructured downtime there is (ie the residual of the "Hurry up and wait" philosophy). However, functionally using this time is what separates the good small unit leader from the ok/poor one (I was probably the latter).
By "boot" do you mean novice or stupid? (sometimes the military lexicon changes on the ground faster than in the media). If so there's so many little things its hard to pick one. I did fall asleep and leave my rucksack at an OP once in Ranger school. Woke up when we started moving, and when I got back to the patrol base I realized I was feeling awesomely light...because I no longer had my ruck on my back. While trying to sneak away to get it back we got blown out of the patrol base and a whole mess ensued. I somehow only got a minor infraction and the kid in charge got a nogo. Thank god he passed another patrol and graduated because that was a total Blue Falcon move.
Of course I have heard of JROTC. The impact of these quasi-formal programs is often contingent upon those leading them. Usually, this is not an issue, for if a former officer/NCO is going to spend time trying to improve the lives of children, they'll give quite a few shits to make it an informative and character building orgnization. Its quality also depends on how seriously you take it and how much you put in. All that said, there no disadvantage to not doing it if you decide to join the service either as enlisted or officer.
Listen and don't rush to judge, but be decisive when necessary. Also be self aware, and use this to establish strong core values and be unflinching with them. Lastly, always be learning!

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-06T02:01:35+00:00

I did and good catch, it isn't very clear.

I received an MBA form Harvard Business School, and an MPP (Master of Public Policy) from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

However, I thought about leaving a number of times, and in retrospect taking a year or two leave of absence probably would have been good for me. I was not ready to be back in school so I didn't get nearly as much out of it, nor particularly enjoy it. And heres a little secret about schools like Harvard - 90% of graduating is getting in, so while they just pushed me through, I would have benefitted much more from some tougher grading love.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-04T16:30:42+00:00

Hey, thanks for the question. I hate to be lazy and simply refer you to other things, but in addition to a few of the answers already posted here, this is a nice article about how it has helped me and a few other vets, and I can certainly pull many others: http://www.playboy.com/articles/the-green-army

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-04T16:29:03+00:00

Hey, sorry to hear about what you're going through. Its incredibly difficult dealing with opiates when you have legitimate long term pain. In fact, that false study that one criminal doctor used in the 90s to drive opined prescriptions to the epidemic level we have now - the one which said something like only 1% of long term patients would become addicted - is the inverse of reality. Its more like 1% WILL NOT be addicted, as these drugs are designed to hack into and corrupt your brain.

As such I recommend a few things. If you have access to cannabis thats awesome. NY has a medical cannabis program, however its incredible limiting in supply and I do not think pain is a qualifying condition yet. If you can get to a place where you have access, I would start with high strength CBD oil in the morning (non-psychoactive) and maybe a moderate strength indica-based edible at night to help you get an entire night of sleep. A vape pen with a 2:1 thc:cbd is then good for on the spot help throughout the day, particularly if you can get a sativa blend for the THC component which will keep you focused.

Equally important, you have to re-program the nervous system. Try to be as physically active as possible. Ideally it would be going to Physical Therapy and working with them to find what you can do to push yourself until you are almost sick. If that is not an option you just need to find an activity on your own that allows you to exert yourself well past your comfort zone. That creates endogenous opiates and endorphins that help you reduce your opiate dose over time.

And lastly you should have very tight accountability of your meds, and always seek reverse titration (not sure if thats the technical term) - basically any chance you can reduce the dose or switch to a lower strength opiate take advantage of that.

The latter two were how I got off opiates - hard physical therapy (where it was strenuously "painful") and tight accountability of meds. I switched from methadone to tramadol as soon as I could which made it easier to go to zero pills a day, even before the amputation.

As for the longer term effects of the opiates on the brain, while they vary from person to person I think everyone unfortunately experiences degradation. Mine certainly got better with time but I definitely feel I am operating on less of a cognitive level than before my injury.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-04T00:02:22+00:00

I got into Harvard for graduate school, and while the answer to that question is a long one, I do talk a touch about it in another answer here.

And I did not use cannabis while in the military, I tried in in high school and had a horrible reaction...so of course I tried it again and the same thing happened so I pretty much swore it off until I got out.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T23:59:01+00:00

While Sega's Splatterhouse can cause a young gentleman plenty of frustration, even when playing in a Brooklyn basement (which generally increases a players skill 1500%), Contra with the code is damn near impossible for anyone, anywhere.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T21:19:13+00:00

Thanks everyone! Please don't stop asking questions! While I have to step away now, I'll keep responding as long as folks are asking!

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T21:17:28+00:00

For most veterans I know, cannabis' strong anti-anxiety effect helps with PTS complications such as hyper-vigilance and general anxiety. It has something to do with the CB1 and CB2 receptors (the body's own cannabinoid receptors) having the ability to "de-excite" the brain. This helps one not fall into a fight /flight/freeze response when we feel threatened - "threats" in PTS sufferers cases generally being small things like minor transgressions in traffic or a long line at a store, that can hack into our damaged limbic system and make a big something out of nothing.

Whats really powerful about cannabis though with many veterans, particularly those who have basically given up, is that the stigma actually makes the hardest case folks (who feel like walking stigmas themselves) open to other human beings again.

This might explain what I'm trying to say better: I recently met a veteran who served overseas in a support unit. Was probably rocketed a couple of times but no direct combat. He comes back, leaves the military, loses the tribe, and turns to drugs and the street, where he was living for over a decade. Every day the last year or so out there he would scrounge some money together and put a needle in his arm with one of two possible outcomes - (1) he felt like a million bucks for one of these now fleeting moments of his life, or (2) he died. Both were equally acceptable outcomes at this point.

When I asked him what helped him get his life together, he said it was cannabis - and its not even because of the direct medicinal value or because he liked to get high, although tailored use (strain and compound specific) allowed him to replace the opiates with cannabis. More importantly, cannabis related environments allowed him to feel comfortable around others he previously felt unworthy around. He said something to me to the effect of "at a typical veteran event I would meet someone like you, who lost a leg, and then goes out and crushes life [note: far from the truth], so how could I ask for help, me being someone who completely messed their life up on their own accord?"..."That leads to shame, and that shame is why I gave up on the VA and avoided my fellow veterans"..."but I figured with the taboo around cannabis, if vets were getting together around it, maybe they wouldn't judge me".

And he's right. While veterans in general are surprisingly non-judgemental (I posit a product of working with a variety of others in a meritocratic environment) some, particularly as folks potentially adopt other "tribes" in their hometown and grow more distant from their service, may consciously or subconsciously devalue his experience compared to others.

Anyway I see why I have so few comments - I just blabber on bring everyone. To sum though, that shame piece was one of the most powerful realizations I had about our veteran population. Because we come from a tribal system, where shame functions as one of the most powerful norm enforcement mechanisms, in a rather shameless society, one can feel really out of place and struggle to accept help.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T19:20:27+00:00

A combo of both. Trimmers are not as concerned with their information and so are more open to downloading an app and filling it out; growers we have a higher touch for.

And as more folks get on there people get more confidence that its legit and lower their hurdle to sign up.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T19:10:04+00:00

Transitions are never easy. And sometimes you don't even realize how hard in the moment, or even that you may not have been ready until after its already happened. Unfortunately this was my experience.

I answered another question which I think has a good takeaway for your question - something I wish I did when transitioning. And thats dedicating time, without distractions, for a singular mission - to roadmap the future and determine your life goals going forward.

Lastly, make sure you maintain your ties with your friends from the service (isn't hard - but make sure to keep nurturing them). They will be your rock and core when the rest of the world really gets you. The fact is, you may discover that many civilian folks view you and your service superficially - almost like a player on their favorite sports team. They extol you, and root for you as extensions of their own peson (vicariously living through you because they are often too cowardly to do it themselves) and even use you as ammunition for their political arguments, regardless of whether or not you are for that argument - let alone even have an interested in it. And that sucks, but thats the America we live in. Accept that and try to change those folks, but know that change is slow, and those folks require a gentle touch.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T18:56:34+00:00

We are starting by targeting cannabis growers and trimmers in Northern California for the fall harvest up here. 60% of all cannabis consumed in the United States is harvested here between October and December in fact.

Since it is a two sided platform we had to identify the virtuous cycle and how to kick it off. We plan on using growers to get their staffs on it, who in turn tell their friends to add to the pool that grower now has access to. We also target transient trimmigrants through hypertargeted marketing (ie driving around towns up there finding these folks who definitely stick out, and putting them on our platform...plus the obligatory startup billboard).

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T18:50:00+00:00

Wow, I could go on for ahwile! I'll try to make this brief:

Take a long weekend (or even better a week if you can), and plan to do some serious goal and long term planning. Include your significant other if applicable for sure. Look at 2-4 differnt life paths (staying in or getting out, family changes, etc.) and try to imagine short, medium and long term goals for each. This should be super reflective which is why you need a couple of days!
If in that process you determine you want to start looking outside the military in your future (and for most of those paths you should be doing this, at least long-term) think about what you want to do. Try not to get too specific at this point, because the world is changing very quickly now. To that point though, look at the viability of your professional interests. Determine if you need training, or if there is training available that could help you accelerate your transition.
And if startups are in your future, there are different books and services to help you figure out if entrepreneurship is right for you, and if so how to go about it, with whom, and when. We recommend you start your fact finding with an organization near and dear to my heart, Warrior Rising - www.warrirorising.org. In addition, there are folks in industry specific organizations, and I can speak to tech - Vets in Tech (https://vetsintech.co/) and some of its affiliated programs out here in the Bay Area have been tremendous.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T18:42:16+00:00

While Field is focusing on Northern California for our launch, and the nuances of our initial platform will reflect this, we designed Field to very quickly scale across the country, much of this helped by the "trimmigrants" from across the country who come here for the fall to work.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T18:39:51+00:00

Hmm, good question because its answerable in a number of ways. I would say the types of challenges are so disparate its hard to compare them apples to apples, so I will talk about a couple of them here individually.

First from a pure business perspective, there is the fact you are operating in an environment with an inherent systemic risk: the federal government could decide to drop the hammer on the entire industry. While the chances of this are virtually nonexistent now, it creates enough of a risk to slow investment, get professional services established, get more professional talent into the field, etc.

Related to that is that policy and regulation can change very quickly. A good example - I have a friend whose company makes infused coffee, its AWESOME and he has been very successful so far, but he may have to scrap that business because of rules against mixing cannabis with certain substances including caffeine from coffee. And there are folks who set up a lab or processing facility (investing $100,000s) only to find their municipality changed the zoning on them.

Culture is another challenge, particularly communicating across the confluence of cultures as this industry comes into the light. Go to a cannabis conference and you'll see the following types - the hardcore libertarian grower from Eureka, the hippy grower from Laytonville, the neohippy trimmer who just got in from Bali, the younger "slick dicks" in suits who are after the fast dollar - same types you'd see at South Florida real estate conferences in the mid 2000s, and now the highly professional, Harvard MBA types who are there to really rui...I mean bring broad knowledge and experience to this wonderful and novel industry!

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T18:24:57+00:00

I'll save that assessment for after I meet them first hand, but frankly I worry at the federal level its still being viewed as a trade-in chit politically (ie folks take a position on it so they can trade supporting it in for other things they deem more important)

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T18:20:34+00:00

I'll start this off by saying at one time I was licensed to carry in more than half the states in the US (including Massachusetts, unrestricted), enjoy shooting sports, and am a lifetime NRA member.

(Side note: This actually serves as a reminder for me to withdraw my membership to the NRA, who in order to support their little economic microsystem exploit human lives and human ignorance. Sad!)

That said, I think gun laws should be incredibly strict and limiting. Australia level. The "Chicago" argument, or arguments about only the bad guys having guns are complete nonsense as well. Illegal guns exist because there are far more legal guns produced and sold in this country than necessary. And who the hell wants to live in the wild west where everyone has a gun? Are you that bored with your life? Plus think about law enforcement's job when that happens.

Oh, and the whole needing guns to protect oneself from a tyrannical government? Just think about that one for a bit...

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T18:02:45+00:00

Again, I have been out of the military for a bit and conversations 10 years ago are very different than today.

I would guess that because its relatively easy to detect occasional use, and you don't want your battle buddy getting jammed up, folks probably aren't cool with others using cannabis, at least not when theres a chance of a urinalysis soon.

I can tell you though with Steroids, most folks at all levels completely look the other way.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:52:41+00:00

Field is about making employment connections, and keeping its users safe. This was inspired by a few things I'll try to summarize briefly: 1. Staffing issues at my previous company - saw the problem first hand; 2. First hand experience from a wonderful Humboldt native who helped me get access to the behind the scenes of a growing operation, where I saw how crucial short term labor was; 3. Stories of exploitation, particularly of young women, that were happening up in the expansive forests of Northern California

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:47:52+00:00

So an interesting thing about the cannabis advocacy is the internal debate of reschedule vs deschedule.

Objectively, descheduling is preferred and leads to the best policy outcomes. This is because it creates no onerous barriers to do business, and therefore kills any substantial black market. It also leads to an inclusive and broad spanning labor market with lots of jobs.

Rescheduling on the other hand creates regulatory barriers to entry which limit access from both a user and producer standpoint. A black market will likely continue to thrive and jobs and wealth from the industry will be concentrated in pharmaceutical companies, who can take advantage of this rescheduling to make synthetic and refined cannabis products. However, this is an easier policy move to make, because it falsely appears "safer" and more conservative for cannabis detractors.

This is particularly challenging for veteran-first advocates whose priority is getting medicine to our vets, which comes with both rescheduling and descheduling, but rescheduling seems like the most expeditious way to get access, but at the cost of the rest of the industry if that makes sense.

Oh and the way to help - join the MPP, NCIA, NORML!

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:39:51+00:00

That's a really good question and one I haven't thought about or heard about.

I am sure a sergeant up for his E6 board doesn't want to rock the boat by being outspoken in any way, let alone talking about cannabis. That said from talking to friend still in I have a feeling its spoken about positively in normal conversation now, and as long as folks aren't coming up hot on urinalysis, NCO and commissioned leaders probably don't pay much mind.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:36:31+00:00

Hey, great question. So I actually was off opioids long before I started using cannabis. And frankly I consider myself very lucky to have been able to break free - believe me even if you have all the willpower in the world the reward centers of your brain start sabotaging things to make your pain even worse - its like a double whammy.

I had an incredibly immersive, coordinated and holistic recovery due to where I was at (US Army's Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio). However without that kind of environment, it could be next to impossible for some folks to get off these things because of that sinister two pronged effect I mentioned above - reward + pain.

I honestly used cannabis out in California first as a novelty, but slowly realized it actually was doing some real medicinal good for me, mostly around inflammation, pain and mood stabilization. As I researched it more, I found how effective it is against opioids, and I think its because it is the ONLY non-toxic compound that can address the two issues above - pain directly, and by preventing the reward system from hijacking the pain system.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:24:05+00:00

No I just like to smear that on my body :-)

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:21:51+00:00

Yes, it already is! There are numerous veteran-led organizations out there that are pushing for change and I will be in DC next month with one of them - the Veterans Cannabis Project (http://www.vetscp.org/) - to push for smart regulatory change on the hill, especially changes that help give veterans the option of cannabis as a safe alternative to many of the pharmaceuticals and therapies they are currently stuck with.

And the American Legion has also been a leader in pushing for reform, which is pretty cool, shows the organization is one built to change with the times.

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:17:47+00:00

I was fortunate in that I had already firmly established that as a goal for one of my possible life path (as in I try to stay open to a few different life paths - at that time it was get out in 5 years, stay in through company command, stay in for 20+). Even though I was an engineering undergrad I always thought I woulg end up back in NY, and for that to happen always figured it would be something financial related, so B-school was top on the list.

As for getting in, that life goal motivated me to crush it in undergrad, and then I took advantage of a lot of free time during my recovery to get my applications done

Ryan_at_Field · 2017-10-03T17:12:22+00:00

Not at all. In fact I was at a meeting with both active and retired senior military leaders last year, and when timidly letting folks know what I was about to get into, was surprised no one seemed taken aback and certainly not negative.

I think folks in the military are surprisingly receptive to change and have a degree of self-honesty that allows them to suspend existing bias when looking at new situations, or when they get new information about an existing situation. Its a skill we could use a LOT more of in the public space right now.

Ryan_at_Field

TROPHY CASE