As lawmakers continue to debate over whether or not to legalize marijuana, those states that allow medical marijuana have been allowing its use for the treatment of  PTSD. Now, some potential patients have begun to wonder about the viability of using it to treat the terrible disorder.

Description

For those unfamiliar with the disorder, PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental health disorder that is caused by someone either experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. It tends to come with a number of different and varying symptoms, including flashbacks, jitteriness, memory problems, and more.

Treatment

While there aren’t many studies on using cannabis to treat PTSD, there are some that show positive results. One of the studies was focused on the use of CBD. The study also demonstrated a decrease in symptom severity in patients suffering from PTSD. Other studies have focused on using straight cannabis. One found that the subjects were 2.57 percent less likely to meet the criteria of PTSD. DSM-5, a diagnostic and statistical manual on mental disorders, outlines this criteria. Another study found that the patients inhaling cannabis had a reduction of symptoms by 50 percent. A Canadian study found that the use of cannabis to treat PTSD resulted in a reduction of both depression and suicidal thoughts.

A study centered around cannabis use among veterans showed that those using it for a year reported a reduction in PTSD symptoms. Additionally, the Deputy Director of NORML reported that veterans were far more likely to self-report taking cannabis for their symptoms.

Exceptions

In fact, the studies have been so promising that some states which have strict measures regarding qualifying conditions for medical marijuana have added PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions. Certain states, while not legalizing marijuana, are allowing its use for the treatment of certain ailments. Most recently, Texas added PTSD to their list of disorders that people could treat with cannabis. However, this plan started in 2009 with New Mexico. It was the first state to allow this sort of exception to the state’s marijuana legalization laws.

Hope

These studies show that patients using cannabis to treat PTSD have a reduction of symptoms and the state lawmakers are taking notice. As a result, the states are making exceptions surrounding cannabis use. It is the hope of activists that these exceptions will push the lawmakers more towards legalization of cannabis.

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