Cannabis effects on PTSD: Can smoking medical marijuana reduce symptoms?

- May 22, 2014

Science Daily/Taylor & Francis

Clinical research supports a conclusion that smoking cannabis [marijuana] is associated with PTSD symptom reduction in some patients. The results of a recent study indicated that patients in the sample reported an average of 75 percent reduction in all three areas of PTSD symptoms while using cannabis, yet further research is still called for by the researchers. “Many PTSD patients report symptom reduction with cannabis, and a clinical trial needs to be done to see what proportion and what kind of PTSD patients benefit, with either cannabis or the main active ingredients of cannabis,” said one of the researchers.

In 2009, New Mexico became the first state to authorize the use of medical cannabis for people with PTSD. Soon after the New Mexico PTSD regulation went into effect, one of the authors began receiving unsolicited phone calls from people asking to be evaluated as part of their application to the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to analyze data on PTSD symptoms collected durin

The results indicated that patients in the sample reported an average of 75 percent reduction in all three areas of PTSD symptoms while using cannabis, yet further research is still called for by the researchers. "Many PTSD patients report symptom reduction with cannabis, and a clinical trial needs to be done to see what proportion and what kind of PTSD patients benefit, with either cannabis or the main active ingredients of cannabis," said Dr. George Greer, one of the researchers.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140522104850.htm