While the research has been contradictory and limited, some former members of the military say pot helps them manage their anxiety, insomnia, and nightmares, reports The Detroit News.

Prescription drugs such as Klonopin and Zoloft weren’t effective or left them feeling like zombies, some say.

“I went from being an anxious mess to numbing myself with the pills they were giving me,” said Mike Whiter, a 39-year-old former Marine who lives in Philadelphia, where marijuana is illegal. “Cannabis helped me get out of the hole I was in. I started to talk to people and get over my social anxiety.”