PTSD sufferers who used cannabis were 2.5 times more likely to recover in a recent study

PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a destructive and life-changing condition that can occur after a traumatic event. Those who suffer from it are in some ways locked in to recapture their trauma over and over again through back pains and nightmares, causing panic attacks, hyperactivity, horrible feelings, separation from lovers and sometimes even suicidal behavior. Sadly, PTSD is not an easy condition to treat or live with. However, some people with PTSD say that they have found relief from their severe symptoms through a controversial treatment – medical cannabis.

Despite reports from PTSD patients that cannabis is helping with their PTSD, and research showing the underlying mechanisms behind how cannabis can help with PTSD, the question remains. it really does help to remain a subject of controversy. No clinical studies have been completed on the subject, and the smallest observation study of people using cannabis for PTSD has been somewhat contradictory, with some studies showing that cannabis showing promise and others suggesting that there are no benefits to the situation.

But a new study adds to the evidence that cannabis may help those suffering from PTSD. The researchers found that PTSD sufferers who used cannabis not only saw a greater reduction in their PTSD symptoms, but were 2.57 times more likely to recover from PTSD during the study than those who did not use cannabis.

The study was funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment and was conducted by researchers at several universities including the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California San Diego, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Colorado. The study’s authors explain that with the increasing use of cannabis for PTSD, especially in states where it is legal (like Colorado) it is important to understand whether it has the potential to offer improvements for PTSD patients.

Unfortunately, the limited research available makes it difficult to answer this question. Clinical research would be ideal for answering these questions, but this is difficult to achieve in the US. In clinical trials, researchers present the cannabis, along with placebos to the participants, so that they can become familiar with the exact substances being ingested and use a double-blind approach. to prevent it from affecting the results.

Unfortunately, current legal restrictions prevent researchers from giving cannabis to research subjects – unless it is obtained from the National Institute of Drug Misuse (NIDA). Unfortunately the type of cannabis available through NIDA is quite different in terms of strength, product types and several other factors, from the cannabis available in legal cannabis markets. These restrictions could be released soon, as several bills are making their way through Congress that would release this restriction. However, in order for these limitations to change, researchers interested in learning how consumer cannabis affects PTSD need to use observational studies. In these studies – like the one done recently – researchers monitor the results from those who use cannabis from the legal cannabis market to treat PTSD.

In this study, researchers followed two groups of PTSD patients over a one-year period. One group used legal medical cannabis, while the other group did not use cannabis at all. Each group included 75 participants who met the DSM Criteria for PTSD. At the beginning of the study, and every three months during the year studied, participants were assessed for PTSD and for the severity of their symptoms with the various PTSD symptoms. Cannabis use (or lack thereof) has also been confirmed by urine toxicology tests.

The results supported what cannabis use PTSD sufferers have been saying for a long time. Those who used cannabis saw a reduction in symptom intensity, and although the control group saw some reductions over time, those who used cannabis saw a much more rapid reduction in symptoms. At the end of the study, they had significantly lower rates of symptom reduction than those who did not use cannabis.

But beyond direct symptom reduction, the study also found that those who used cannabis were more than 2.5 times more likely to no longer have PTSD after the year – long study. This suggests that cannabis may do more than just alleviate symptoms, it may help heal from the trauma caused by PTSD, something suggested by scientists studying how cannabis affects on the brain, memory and stress response.

Interestingly, the majority of patients using cannabis flour used high THC cannabis flour. Since they have seen such positive results, this suggests that future studies should look specifically at this type of cannabis regimen. The researchers suggest that future clinical studies should be conducted using the types of cannabis used by PTSD patients. We hope that restrictions on cannabis research will soon be released, so these important questions can be explored with the best scientific tools we have.