Medical Marijuana for PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that's been increasing in prevalence since the Vietnam War. What’s not increasing, though, is the availability of effective treatments for PTSD — even though research suggests that medical marijuana could provide relief for sufferers.

A study in New Mexico found that chronic PTSD patients who were given medical cannabis reported a 75% reduction in their PTSD symptoms. That's statistically significant, given the randomized trial design of the experiment.

So it's clear that medical marijuana can help treat PTSD. But why?

PTSD patients have unusually high rates of anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and depression. They often self-medicate with alcohol or street drugs to cope with their symptoms. So it stands to reason that treating the symptoms of PTSD with medical marijuana could prevent self-medicating behaviors.

But why would medical marijuana be an effective treatment for PTSD? Researchers aren't 100% sure yet — but they do have some ideas about how cannabis helps this condition.

First, marijuana has been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD by slowing down the body's motor responses. One study found that medical cannabis reduced "nociception" — a variety of responses that are very common in PTSD patients, and which may contribute to anxiety and depression.

Second, cannabis seems to relieve PTSD symptoms by acting on the brain's endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is a network of receptors throughout the body that serve as our bodies' internal marijuana dispensary. It helps regulate mood, appetite, memory, sleep cycles, and more — all aspects that are important for people who suffer from chronic trauma.

The endocannabinoid system is also very involved in the regulation of social behavior — like that which occurs during stressful situations. And it plays an important role in how we deal with these situations. People who have PTSD tend to have abnormal or erratic behaviors that can be frightening — such as freezing when they see a scary movie, or obsessively counting their belongings, or avoiding people who are unfamiliar to them.

The endocannabinoid system may be able to dampen these erratic behaviors by stabilizing the brain.

There are other ways that medical marijuana can help people with PTSD, too — including by regulating emotional responses.

Research suggests that the effects of social anxiety and PTSD have a lot in common. Both conditions have been shown to involve a drop in endocannabinoid levels, which can contribute to uncontrolled or irrational emotions. The presence of drug-like substances may also trigger emotional reactions — such as triggering the same physical responses that you might see when a person takes LSD or ecstasy.

If you're interested in getting your MMJ Card in Virginia or Maryland, we're here to help. Please click here or call 804-522-5555 to get started.