The growing acceptance of medical cannabis creates a significant care gap for one of America's most vulnerable populations. While veterans increasingly turn to cannabis for symptom management, they're navigating this complex therapeutic landscape largely without professional medical guidance, relying instead on peer networks and dispensary staff for dosing and strain selection decisions that could profoundly impact their health outcomes. This qualitative study with 23 veterans across Connecticut, Michigan, and Oregon reveals how patients are making autonomous medical decisions in a regulatory and clinical vacuum. Veterans described using cannabis to manage diverse conditions, from chronic pain to PTSD symptoms, viewing it as superior to conventional pharmaceuticals they'd previously tried. Most perceived minimal risks while emphasizing substantial benefits, suggesting either genuine therapeutic efficacy or a concerning disconnect from established medical risk assessment protocols. The research exposes a troubling pattern: veterans avoid discussing cannabis use with VA clinicians due to perceived stigma, legal concerns, or assumption that providers lack relevant knowledge. Instead, they create informal support networks, essentially crowd-sourcing medical advice from fellow users and commercial dispensary workers who may lack clinical training. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the patient-provider relationship for a population already struggling with healthcare access and trust issues. The findings highlight an urgent need for evidence-based cannabis guidance protocols and clinician education, particularly within veteran healthcare systems where traditional pain management approaches have often proven inadequate.