Veterans
deserve healing,
not sedation

The current system is failing those who served. We're here to change that — with truth, science, and compassion.

Military soldiers patrolling in a dusty area with a large billboard in the background showing people in traditional clothing.

Our Mission

No More Zombie Veterans aims to stop the unnecessary overmedication (polypharmacy) of Australian veterans. We believe this is critical because current treatments often don't work long-term and sadly often worsen veterans' health outcomes, affecting both veterans and their families. We advocate for legislative approval and access to safer treatments, including medicinal cannabis, understanding its positive interaction with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This is crucial for veterans dealing with treatment-resistant PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

We are calling for urgent reform to Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) policy to:

  • Recognise, learn and educate about the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as a vital part of veterans health,

  • Approve and fund legally prescribed medicinal cannabis for veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD and TBI,

  • Replace the outdated polypharmacy model with safer, science-backed options that actually work

This is about dignity, evidence-based care, and human rights. Veterans should not have to choose between suffering in silence or breaking the law to survive.

The System is Creating Zombies

For too long, veterans with mental health injuries have been prescribed combinations of:

  • Antidepressants

  • Antipsychotics

  • Benzodiazepines

  • Sleeping pills

  • Anticonvulsants

This “polypharmacy”
approach often leads to:

Emotional numbness

Cognitive decline

Dependency

Increased risk of suicide

And when these medications fail — as they often do — veterans are left with nowhere to turn.

The DVA continues to deny legal access to medicinal cannabis, even when it's supported by growing clinical evidence and prescribed by qualified doctors for all Australians.

A Better Way Forward

Medicinal cannabis is not a miracle cure — but for many veterans, it’s a life-saving treatment. It works by supporting the body's natural endocannabinoid system (ECS), which plays a key role in regulating:

  • Mood

  • Sleep

  • Stress response

  • Memory processing (including fear extinction)

Countries like Canada, Israel, Ukraine and Germany have already approved medicinal cannabis medications for veterans with PTSD and TBI…… Australia must catch up.

Soldiers in desert military gear operating a large mounted machine gun on a military vehicle.

Our Founder’s Story

RAAF veteran Derek Pyrah lived this nightmare for 17 years — until medicinal cannabis helped him find clarity, peace, and functionality again. After being denied access and nearly jailed, he launched this campaign to make sure no other veteran (or their families) would be punished for trying to heal. “We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for the right treatment.”

— Derek Pyrah, RAAF Veteran & Founder

What We’re Fighting For

We call on the Australian Government and the DVA to:

  • Recognise and promote the ECS in veteran health care

  • Approve and fund prescribed medicinal cannabis for PTSD and TBI

  • Stop forcing veterans into polypharmacy pathways that don’t work

  • Listen to veterans, doctors, researchers, and lived experience