Robb Harmon, Founder of Veterans Cannabis Care – Interview Series

Despite being a powerful group of advocates for medical cannabis rights and expansion, veterans of all branches often face struggles when attempting to receive access to medical cannabis. Whether because of financial-related reasons or due to a lack of nearby physicians willing to authorize a veteran to receive a medical card, or the multitude of issues that arise from Veterans Affairs being unable to discuss cannabis. This is especially true in states like Florida that have sizable medical markets and strict legalization laws; many different issues and difficulties can still manifest when a veteran in Florida is trying to apply for a medical card.

Luckily for veterans residing in the Sunshine State, however, two organizations that are dedicated to medical cannabis advocacy and ease have partnered up to increase medical cannabis access for the nation’s heroes who live in the nation’s third most populous state.

For a greater understanding of such an important partnership, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Robb Harmon, Founder of Veterans Cannabis Care. 

What inspired the partnership between the two companies? How are the objectives and missions of both VCC and DocMJ similar when it comes to veteran access to cannabis?

I was already familiar with DocMJ’s longstanding history of supporting veterans, so I reached out directly to Aaron Bloom, CEO of DocMJ, to discuss backing our mission of providing 100% free access for veterans. He responded immediately and expressed his full support. Within a week, we had formalized the partnership.

How do VCC and DocMJ’s strengths and services benefit each other when it comes to increasing access and assisting in the medical card application process?

Through its partnership with DocMJ, Veterans Cannabis Care strengthens its ability to expand access for Florida veterans by combining the nonprofit with an expanded clinical infrastructure. This collaboration increases appointment availability, enhances evaluation capacity, and allows more eligible veterans to be certified at no cost. By removing financial barriers and leveraging DocMJ’s large-scale physician-led practice, the partnership ensures greater access, faster service, and a streamlined medical card application process for veterans across Florida.

How will the structural access model cover not only 100% of physician evaluation fees but also 100% of Florida state registration fees, all while guaranteeing that veterans don’t pay a penny?

Through its partnership with DocMJ, the clinical side of the process is expanded and streamlined. DocMJ provides physician infrastructure and statewide appointment availability, and covers the full cost of those evaluations directly. At the same time, VCC also pays the state registration fees on behalf of the veteran.

How exactly will this model and partnership increase access and opportunities to medical cannabis for veterans living in Florida?

Because the costs are covered at both levels, clinical and state there is no out-of-pocket expense at any point in the certification process. This isn’t a reimbursement model or a limited time campaign. It’s a permanent, structural commitment designed to remove financial barriers entirely and guarantee that qualified veterans do not pay a single dollar to access Florida’s medical cannabis program.

Looking ahead, how do you plan to maintain and expand this program? 

Through our collaboration with DocMJ, Veterans Cannabis Care will be expanding physician availability statewide so more veterans can be seen quickly and without financial barriers. At the same time, we are actively working to grow nonprofit funding through donors, industry partnerships, and community support to ensure we can continue covering 100% of physician and state fees.

As demand increases, our goal is to increase appointment access, streamline the onboarding process, and replicate this model in additional markets where veterans face similar barriers. The long term vision is simple, NO eligible veteran should ever be denied access to medical cannabis because of cost in Florida or beyond.