Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives

What Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives does

Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA) is a Gretna, Louisiana-based nonprofit organization founded in 2019 by Marine Corps veteran Gary Hess. VAHA operates as an education, advocacy, and direct-service provider focused on increasing access to psychedelic-assisted therapies and medical cannabis for U.S. military veterans, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers. Its service portfolio spans six core offerings: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Grants, a nationwide Medical Cannabis telemedicine platform that connects patients with licensed physicians, PSIP (Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy) delivered by trained practitioners, Preparation, Integration and Transformational Recovery Coaching, Education and Advocacy Services, and Public Speaking engagements led by the founder.

The organization operationalizes its work through a branded R.E.A.P. process (Research, Educational Outreach, Advocacy, Policy Reform). It maintains state-level chapters in South Carolina and North Carolina to drive legislative campaigns, and has been a co-petitioner in Sisley v. DEA challenging the Schedule I classification of cannabis. VAHA's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on founder-led public speaking, congressional testimony, earned media coverage, and grassroots veteran and first-responder networks.

VAHA is funded through grants and donations rather than commercial revenue, has approximately 5 employees, and operates without disclosed financials or institutional investment. Its competitive position rests on authentic veteran-led credibility, recognized policy advocacy access, and a growing multi-state chapter structure rather than proprietary technology.

Name

Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives

Legal name

Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives

Website

https://vahahealth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA) is a Louisiana-based nonprofit that provides psychedelic-assisted therapy grants, medical cannabis telemedicine access, and policy advocacy for U.S. military veterans, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Advocacy and Holistic Healthcare Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Behavioral Health Integration Platforms (HLALABAE)

Keywords

• Medical cannabis advocacy
• Psychedelic-assisted therapy
• Veterans healthcare services
• Nonprofit policy reform
• Trauma recovery grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Gretna, Louisiana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: VAHA operates as a nonprofit organization funded through grants and donations to provide psychedelic-assisted therapy grants to veterans, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA) is a nonprofit organization that provides psychedelic-assisted therapy grants and medical cannabis access via a nationwide telemedicine platform for veterans, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers. The organization conducts education, advocacy, and policy reform efforts to remove barriers to plant-medicine therapies, structured around its R.E.A.P. process (Research, Educational Outreach, Advocacy, Policy Reform). It also offers integration coaching, Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP), and public speaking engagements led by its founder.

Product overview

Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA) is a service provider offering a comprehensive suite of programs for psychedelic-assisted treatment and medical cannabis access. The organization operates as a unified service offering centered around its R.E.A.P. process (Research, Educational Outreach, Advocacy, Policy Reform), supplemented by direct service programs including Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Grants for veterans and first responders, a nationwide telemedicine platform for Medical Cannabis Access, PSIP (Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy) body-centered therapy, Preparation and Integration Recovery Coaching, and Education and Advocacy Services. The organization also provides Public Speaking engagements by Founder Gary Hess. These services work together to increase access to breakthrough therapies, empower patients, and reform barriers restricting access to medical cannabis and psychedelic-assisted treatments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Grants Direct grant program providing financial assistance to veterans, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers to access safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapy programs covering multiple modalities that promote healing, emotional resilience, and trauma recovery, with integration support.
• Medical Cannabis Access (Telemedicine Platform) Nationwide telemedicine platform providing access to medical marijuana cards and physician recommendations from home, connecting qualifying patients with licensed physicians for medical cannabis treatment.
• PSIP - Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy Body-centered psychotherapy approach guided by trained practitioners that supports trauma release and emotional healing through the mind-body connection, helping veterans safely process experiences and restore balance, resilience, and wholeness.
• Preparation, Integration and Transformational Recovery Coaching Integration coaching services utilizing plant medicines to provide better mental and physical health outcomes for patients undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy and recovery.
• Education and Advocacy Services Educational outreach to patients, physicians, businesses, and lawmakers through private consultations, discussion panels, and in-depth presentations to empower life change with psychedelic-assisted therapy programs.
• Public Speaking Engagements Presentations by Founder and Executive Director Gary Hess sharing his personal journey to heal outside the Western model of medicine and the medical efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies from a national-level advocate perspective.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lost over 7,000 service members to combat operations in the last 20 years, compared to over 240,000 lost to suicide and drug overdose

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Terry HoltcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2022Terry Holt, a veteran political strategist, was appointed to VAHA's Advisory Board. He brings national political expertise to advance the organization's policy reform efforts.
• VAHA-NC (North Carolina Chapter)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022North Carolina chapter of VAHA was established to amplify voices and work for passage of SB711 medical cannabis legislation.
• Medical Advisory Board (Doctors)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2022VAHA announced first appointments to its new Medical Advisory Board, with doctors pledging to blend medical expertise with the patient experience for better outcomes.
• Board of Directors (Decorated Combat Veterans)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2022Two decorated combat veterans were appointed to the board to boost cannabis awareness, empowerment, and reform efforts.
• Battlefield FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2021The Battlefield Foundation partnered with VAHA in legal efforts to petition the DEA to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I narcotics.
• Scottsdale Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2021Dr. Sue Sisley of Scottsdale Research Institute partnered with VAHA veterans in legal action against DEA regarding cannabis scheduling.
• Field to HealedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2021Field to Healed joined as a petitioner in the lawsuit to remove cannabis from Schedule I classification.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Drug Policy Alliance: National advocacy organization promoting drug policy reform, including cannabis decriminalization and psychedelic policy. Overlaps with VAHA on policy reform and harm-reduction framing, but operates at a broader drug-policy level rather than veteran-specific.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): Large veteran advocacy organization with broad policy agenda including mental health, suicide prevention, and toxic exposure. Comparable to VAHA on veteran advocacy and legislative engagement, but much larger and broader in scope.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Major veteran services nonprofit providing mental health, physical rehabilitation, and long-term support to wounded veterans. Comparable to VAHA on the trauma-recovery/mission axis but with vastly larger scale and broader veteran services portfolio.
• Americans for Safe Access: National nonprofit dedicated to ensuring safe and legal access to medical cannabis for therapeutic use and research. Comparable to VAHA on the medical cannabis access and patient-advocacy axis, though ASA focuses on broader patient populations.
• NORML: Long-established nonprofit advocating for marijuana legalization and reform. Comparable to VAHA's policy reform arm, with overlapping federal/state legislative focus but broader consumer population rather than veteran-specific.

Direct peers

• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): Leading nonprofit advancing psychedelic research, therapy training, and policy reform, including MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Comparable to VAHA on the psychedelic advocacy and education axis, though MAPS is far larger and more research-focused.
• Veterans Cannabis Project: Veteran-led nonprofit advocating for veteran access to medical cannabis, federal rescheduling, and VA system reform. Directly comparable to VAHA in mission (veteran-focused cannabis advocacy), policy engagement, and grassroots organizing.
• Heroic Hearts Project: Nonprofit that connects military veterans with psychedelic therapy programs (including ayahuasca, psilocybin, and ketamine retreats). Directly comparable to VAHA in serving the same veteran/first responder population, advocating for psychedelic access, and providing grant/funding pathways to treatment.

Emerging players

• Scottsdale Research Institute: Research organization led by Dr. Sue Sisley conducting FDA-approved trials of cannabis and psilocybin for PTSD in veterans. Directly comparable to VAHA via the Sisley v. DEA legal partnership, and shares the cannabis-for-veteran-PTSD mission focus.
• Plant Medicine Coalition: Emerging advocacy organization focused on expanding access to plant-based psychedelic medicines. Comparable to VAHA on psychedelic policy reform advocacy, though broader in population served and smaller in operational scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/vahahealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veterans-alliance-for-holistic-alternatives
• Instagraminstagram.com/vahahealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives