Mendry · Our Mission & Organization · About Us
Mendry · Our Mission & Organization · About Us
About Us . Section 1 of 4
Mendry · About Us · Our Mission
Mendry is a Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofit — a veteran-first education and outcomes platform dedicated to helping veterans, families, and providers navigate the intersection of VA Community Care and state-legal medical cannabis care. We raise literacy, reduce confusion, and ensure clinical decisions stay where they belong: between veterans and their licensed providers.
Mendry is veteran-founded, mission-driven, and structurally independent. We do not represent the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, any branch of the armed services, or any state or federal agency. Our independence is the foundation of how we operate — and the reason veterans and providers can trust the information we publish.
At the center of our model is the two-hat Osteopathic Physician (DO) — clinicians who, in separate state-law visits, can advise on medical cannabis as Medical Cannabis Care Managers (MCCMs), and who, in VA Community Care visits, document safety counseling, functional outcomes, and Cannabis Use Disorder screenings that flow back to the VA. The result is fewer blind spots, earlier risk detection, and better continuity of care — without the VA recommending or paying for cannabis
Mendry is not a dispensary, a tele-certification service, or a placement or referral agency. We do not provide dosing or product advice. We do not collect Protected Health Information and are not a HIPAA-covered entity. We do not prescribe, sell, or endorse any cannabis product. These boundaries are not caveats — they are the architecture that makes every other part of our work possible.
What We Provide
Plain-language state guides, provider primers, function-first measurement frameworks, and neutral workshops — all without medical advice or product promotion.
What We Enable
Veterans arrive at clinical appointments better prepared. Providers are equipped to document safety and function clearly within both VA and state-law frameworks.
What We Protect
Medical decisions remain between veterans and their licensed clinicians. Mendry provides context, not conclusions — education, not advice.
What We Never Do
No PHI collection. No product sales or endorsements. No dosing guidance. No affiliation with the VA, DoD, or any federal or state agency.
What We Do . Section 2 of 4
Our work operates across four interconnected programs, each designed to reduce a specific category of confusion or barrier.
Mendry spotlights osteopathic physicians who hold two distinct clinical roles. In a state-law encounter, they may function as Medical Cannabis Care Managers — advising on legal, non-VA cannabis use. In a separate VA Community Care encounter, those same physicians document safety counseling, functional measurements (sleep continuity, pain interference, daytime alertness), and Cannabis Use Disorder screenings that return to the veteran’s VA chart. This dual documentation model improves coordination without requiring the VA to endorse or fund cannabis. De-identified monthly aggregates roll up to show where benefits and harms cluster, including CUD trends — better data, no hype.
When access standards trigger or services aren’t available at a veteran’s VA facility, the VA can authorize care with a community clinician through the Community Care Network (CCN). The clinician sends documentation back to VA so the care plan stays coherent. Cannabis itself is not a VA-paid benefit; safety and function are still documented so VA teams can act on what matters — medication interactions, therapy timing, adverse events. Mendry publishes plain-language, state-aware guides and hosts neutral Education Pods that explain these rules, boundaries, and pathways without ever stepping into clinical advice.
Checklists, conversation guides, and expectation-setting templates reduce avoidable delays and make appointments more productive — especially for veterans managing chronic pain, chronic disease, or PTSD. All resources are freely available, without registration, paywall, or solicitation. Veterans are encouraged to bring a one-page goals card to both VA and community visits, with two functional targets and a reassessment date.
Where education gaps are largest — often in rural counties and states with the highest veteran populations — Mendry provides small grants to vetted, veteran-serving nonprofits to localize and deliver neutral, state-aware learning. Priority states include Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia, with national reach through digital content and on-demand modules.
The following guidance is drawn from standard clinical and public health recommendations and is provided for informational purposes only.
Section 3 of 4
Transparency and compliance are structural at Mendry, not aspirational. We publish our policies openly, enforce strict disclaimers across all content, review every resource for accuracy and neutrality, and maintain documented procedures for conflict of interest review and content takedown. Funds are reinvested entirely into neutral education and community benefit.
Mendry is guided by a dedicated board of directors, each bringing domain expertise in physician regulatory alignment, federal advocacy, and veteran-centered healthcare policy.
Licensed Physician · Regulatory Alignment & Federal Advocacy
Licensed Physician · Regulatory Alignment & Federal Advocacy
Licensed Physician · Regulatory Alignment & Federal Advocacy
TRICARE West Specialist · Resolution of Military Benefit Bottlenecks
Optum CCN Specialist · Managed Care Network Navigation
Clinical Liaison · Bridging Member Needs to Medical Board
Mendry Relations · Nonprofit Infrastructure & Member Services
Legislative Affairs · State & Federal Advocacy Monitoring
Provider Directory Standards
Every provider listed on Mendry must verify an active license, respect and follow applicable state cannabis laws, and commit to Mendry’s veteran-first principles. Our directory is regularly reviewed and updated to give veterans accurate, reliable connections to verified clinicians.
Benefits for listed providers include: credibility signals in a frequently misunderstood market, patients who arrive better prepared and with fewer misconceptions, and potential visibility through blogs, podcasts, or spotlight campaigns.
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Common questions from veterans, providers, and organizations looking to partner with Mendry.
No. We provide education and an informational directory to help you compare and evaluate options. All clinical decisions — including whether to pursue any form of cannabis care — are made between you and your licensed clinician.
Yes — in a separate, non-VA state-law encounter where state law permits. As a CCN clinician in a VA Community Care visit, that same DO documents safety and function back to VA without recommending cannabis. The two roles are clinically and legally distinct.
Visit mendry.org/va-community-care-providers to review listing standards and submit your credentials. Verification is required before any profile is published.
Sponsorship starts with an email. See our Sponsors page for a full breakdown of sponsorship levels, brand safety commitments, and how to reach us. We respond within five business days.
Mendry invites sponsors, providers, and partners to stand with us in building a safer, more transparent, and more trustworthy education ecosystem for veterans. Together, we can replace confusion with clarity, misinformation with education, and stigma with community support. The veterans navigating this system deserve nothing less.
For sponsorship inquiries, partnership conversations, or general questions about Mendry’s work, reach us at support@mendry.org. For provider listing and credentialing, visit our providers page. For copay assistance, visit the Copay Relief Fund.
Mendry is guided by a dedicated board of directors, each bringing domain expertise in physician regulatory alignment, federal advocacy, and veteran-centered healthcare policy.
Important Notice: Mendry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any federal or state agency. Mendry provides educational content only and does not provide medical advice, prescribe or sell cannabis products, offer clinical care, or collect Protected Health Information. All medical and healthcare decisions are made between veterans and their licensed clinicians. Mendry does not employ healthcare professionals, does not act as a staffing or placement agency, and does not refer veterans to specific providers. Content on this page is for informational purposes only. Emergency: 911 | Veterans Crisis Line: 988 (Press 1) | Text 838255.
