Disabled U.S. Army veteran Shane Breen leads a new evidence-based project examining cannabis, VA policy, federal and state laws, research, medication interactions, harm reduction and the questions millions of American veterans are already asking.
Between Two Paths: A Veteran’s Choice
New York, New York, Sept. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silly Nice, a Disabled Veteran-Owned New York cannabis company, has launched THE FIELD MANUAL — Cannabis, Veterans & America, a national educational initiative created to give U.S. military veterans clearer, more responsible information about cannabis.
Available at sillynice.com/veterans-cannabis, THE FIELD MANUAL brings together more than 110 sourced citations alongside federal policy information, VA guidance, scientific research, state-by-state cannabis information, harm-reduction resources and practical tools designed specifically around questions veterans may encounter.
Its central premise is intentionally simple:
Veterans are using cannabis. They deserve better information.
Rather than presenting cannabis as a cure or encouraging veterans to replace conventional treatment, THE FIELD MANUAL takes a deliberately evidence-first approach. It distinguishes personal experience from clinical evidence, identifies limitations in existing research and addresses risks and unresolved questions alongside potential areas of interest.
The project was created in part from the lived experience of Silly Nice Co-Founder Shane Breen, a U.S. Army veteran and disabled veteran who has used cannabis for more than 25 years and has personal experience with prescription opioids.
“I’m not a doctor. I’m a disabled veteran telling you what my experience has been,” Breen said. “I’ve lived with this for decades. I’ve been prescribed opioids, and I’ve used cannabis for more than 25 years. Veterans deserve honest information—including what we know, what we don’t know and what the risks are—so they can make their own decisions.”
That philosophy defines the project.
THE FIELD MANUAL does not tell veterans that cannabis will treat PTSD, pain, sleep problems or other conditions. Instead, its condition guides are designed to distinguish what veterans report from what observational studies have found, what randomized trials have demonstrated, what systematic reviews conclude, what government agencies currently say and what researchers still do not know.
A Veteran Resource Designed Around Evidence, Not Marketing
Although THE FIELD MANUAL was created by a licensed cannabis company, its health and educational sections have been deliberately separated from Silly Nice’s commercial cannabis business.
There are no Silly Nice product purchase buttons on its PTSD, pain, opioid, mental-health, substance-use, VA-policy or clinical-research pages.
The project does not connect Silly Nice products with medical outcomes.
Instead, THE FIELD MANUAL establishes a straightforward editorial standard:
Show the evidence. Show the limitations. Link to the original source. Correct the information when better evidence becomes available.
“Personal experience matters, but it isn’t the same thing as scientific proof,” Breen said. “We wanted to build something that respects veterans enough to make that distinction.”
Understanding Cannabis, the VA and Federal Law
One of the project’s central goals is helping veterans understand an unusually complicated intersection of healthcare, federal law, state law and VA policy.
THE FIELD MANUAL examines questions including whether veterans can discuss cannabis with their VA healthcare providers, what current VA policy says about marijuana use and benefits, why cannabis cannot be brought onto VA property, and why VA clinicians and pharmacies operate differently from healthcare providers participating in state medical-cannabis programs.
The project also addresses an issue that can be particularly consequential for veterans: the intersection between cannabis and federal firearms law.
Additional resources examine federal agencies and regulations affecting cannabis, state cannabis programs and policies, and the continuing evolution of federal marijuana policy.
Because those rules can change, THE FIELD MANUAL is designed as a living resource rather than a static article.
A 50-State Cannabis Guide for Veterans
Cannabis law in the United States remains a patchwork.
What is permitted in one state may be restricted in another, while medical cannabis eligibility requirements, registration programs and veteran-specific provisions can vary considerably.
THE FIELD MANUAL therefore includes a 50-state plus Washington, D.C. guide intended to help veterans begin understanding the rules that apply where they live.
The broader project also includes a federal policy tracker so readers can follow developments that extend beyond individual state programs.
Readers are repeatedly encouraged to verify current requirements with official government sources because cannabis laws and regulations continue to change.
Research Without Pretending the Science Is Settled
Cannabis discussions can quickly become polarized between claims that the plant is a cure-all and claims that there is nothing meaningful to investigate.
THE FIELD MANUAL takes neither position.
Its research framework separates different levels of evidence so readers can see the difference between personal testimony, observational research, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, government guidance and unanswered scientific questions.
Topics covered by the project include PTSD, chronic pain, sleep, anxiety, depression, opioids and substance use, along with resources focused on older veterans and women veterans.
Where evidence is incomplete, THE FIELD MANUAL says so.
Where credible research identifies risks, those risks are included.
And where veterans describe personal benefits or negative experiences, those stories are treated as individual experiences rather than proof that another veteran will have the same outcome.
Practical Tools Veterans Can Actually Use
THE FIELD MANUAL extends beyond traditional articles and research summaries.
The platform includes or is structured around resources such as:
- A cannabis and medication interaction reference
- Questions veterans can prepare for healthcare appointments
- A VA appointment preparation guide
- Harm-reduction information
- Cannabis terminology explained in plain language
- State cannabis information
- Federal and VA policy resources
- Cannabis and firearms information
- Condition-specific evidence guides
- A research library
- Veteran experiences and stories
- Community resources
- Crisis and support information
The intention is not to replace physicians, pharmacists, attorneys or government agencies.
It is to help veterans arrive at those conversations better informed.
Cannabis Is Not Presented as Crisis Treatment
THE FIELD MANUAL also establishes a clear boundary around mental-health emergencies.
Cannabis is explicitly not presented as a crisis treatment.
The resource directs veterans experiencing a crisis to established professional resources, including the Veterans Crisis Line, and provides immediate information for reaching qualified support.
That distinction is part of the project’s broader effort to treat cannabis education with the seriousness expected of information intended for a veteran population.
Built From Lived Experience, Designed for Every Veteran
Silly Nice was founded by Shane Breen and LeVar Thomas as a family-owned New York cannabis company. Breen’s military service and experience as a disabled veteran have become central to THE FIELD MANUAL’s development.
But the project is intended to extend far beyond veterans who use cannabis.
It is equally designed for a veteran considering cannabis for the first time, a veteran who has decided not to use it, a caregiver trying to understand the subject, or a family member attempting to make sense of conflicting information.
“We built THE FIELD MANUAL because veterans deserve clear information whether they choose to use cannabis or not,” Breen said.
That independence of choice is fundamental to the project.
THE FIELD MANUAL does not ask veterans to reach a predetermined conclusion about cannabis.
It asks them to become better informed.
An Expanding Public Resource
THE FIELD MANUAL is designed to evolve as laws, government policy and scientific evidence change.
Sources are reviewed and re-verified, state and federal policy can be updated, and the project invites veterans to contribute their own experiences—including positive, negative and mixed experiences.
Future development is intended to deepen the project’s research, educational tools and veteran community resources while maintaining the separation between health education and Silly Nice’s commercial products.
For Breen, the broader objective is straightforward.
Veterans have spent years navigating an environment in which personal experiences with cannabis, federal prohibition, rapidly changing state laws, VA healthcare rules, firearms regulations and emerging scientific research frequently collide.
They should not have to navigate that environment without reliable information.
THE FIELD MANUAL — Cannabis, Veterans & America is available now at: sillynice.com/veterans-cannabis
About THE FIELD MANUAL
THE FIELD MANUAL — Cannabis, Veterans & America is an educational and public-information project created by Silly Nice. The resource examines cannabis research, veteran experiences, VA policy, federal and state law, harm reduction and related issues affecting U.S. veterans.
THE FIELD MANUAL does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment, legal advice or individualized healthcare recommendations. Cannabis affects people differently and carries risks. Veterans should discuss personal medical decisions, medication changes and cannabis use with qualified healthcare professionals and confirm current laws through official government sources.
About Silly Nice
Silly Nice is a family-owned, Disabled Veteran-Owned New York cannabis company founded by Shane Breen and LeVar Thomas. The company produces small-batch cannabis products in New York and is currently represented at licensed dispensaries throughout the state.
Beyond cannabis products, Silly Nice is developing public-information and educational initiatives intended to bring greater transparency, context and responsible discussion to issues affecting cannabis consumers and communities.
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- Between Two Paths: A Veteran’s Choice
CONTACT: LeVar Thomas Silly Nice 929-375-6940 [email protected]
