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cannabis patient care
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vol. 3 no. 4 cannapatientcare.com
nurse focus
The Facts About PTSD and Cannabis
B Y K A T H E R I N E G O L D E N , R N
I
N RECENT YEARS there has been increased attention fo-
cused on the potential use of cannabis in the treatment of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although many PTSD
patients report that cannabis has helped with their condi-
tion, research backing up these assertions is still lacking. This
column will examine the facts and how cannabis is becoming
an increasingly popular treatment for PTSD.
To better understand the relationship between cannabis
and PTSD, it is important to know what PTSD is and what symp-
toms accompany a diagnosis. PTSD is a psychological disorder
that individuals may develop after experiencing or witnessing a
traumatic event such as war, natural disasters, or domestic and
sexual abuse (1). The impact of these events live with these in-
dividuals for years and maybe their entire lives with recurring,
disturbing thoughts, visions, and feelings from the experience
plaguing the victims with seemingly no end in sight.
However, some people diagnosed with PTSD have found sol-
ace in cannabis and say that using the plant helps ease in-
tense anxiety and depression. It comes as a welcomed relief
for those who have spent years cycling through pharmaceuti-
cals trying to find the right treatment. Living day to day without
the right treatment and help can feel like a never-ending uphill
battle, making daily tasks and normal social interactions seem
impossible. Which is exactly why cannabis legalization has felt
so transformative for those living with PTSD. Accessibility and
greater acceptance of cannabis are enabling people to exper-
iment with cannabis like never before, in the hopes of gain-
ing more control over their lives. In particular, victims of sexual
abuse (2) and veterans are two groups that say cannabis helps
them relieve anxiety, flashbacks, and depressive episodes that
could otherwise consume their minds.
Although human trial studies backing up these assertions are
sorely lagging, you can find a growing number of meta-analyses
and animal studies for PTSD (3) on platforms like Cannakeys. One
study (4) found that cannabis users reported a greater decrease
in the severity of their PTSD symptoms. The data also showed
that patients consuming cannabis were 2.5 times as likely to no
longer meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD as those patients in
the study who did not use cannabis. The study suggests that in
activating the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates
our mood, memory, emotions, sleep, and eating patterns, can-
nabis may help individuals find relief from their PTSD symptoms.
Unfortunately, this study was not randomized, and the partici-
pation pool was too small to make a definitive conclusion on the
efficacy of cannabis use to treat PTSD.
In addition, these small trials (5) have shown that cannabidi-
ol (CBD) has had significant positive effects for those with PTSD
all without the psychoactive properties of tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC). Since CBD products are currently available in some capacity
in every state except for three, its use could be a great option for
those considering cannabis treatment. However, the best results
typically come from a combination of both medication and psy-
chotherapy, so if one wishes to try cannabis as a means of medi-
cation, it is recommended that therapy is sought out as well.
The results of these small studies demonstrate how urgently
further research is needed. Further randomized control trials will
need to be conducted to get a better understanding of the rela-
tionship between cannabis and PTSD. There is good news though,
as more states move toward legalization, funding should be more
accessible allowing for structured clinical trials to be conducted.
Since cannabis for medicinal purposes is still a relatively new
field of research, there is room for improvement in the way its
effects are studied in real-world applications. Nevertheless,
hope is on the horizon as there has been a significant push in
recent years to create credible studies and cases to showcase
the numerous benefits cannabis has on treating mental disor-
ders such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
References
(1) https://psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd.
(2) https://missgrass.com/blogs/sex/cannabis-and-sexual-trauma.
(3) https://cannakeys.com/thc-cbd-for-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/.
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8222769/#:~:text=77.2%25%20
of%20the%20patients%2C%20had,not%20changes%20in%20PTSD%20symptoms.
(5) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/
cbd-for-ptsd#treating-ptsd-with-cbd.
about the author
KATHERINE GOLDEN is a registered nurse and CEO, executive director,
and founder of Leaf411, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019
with a mission to provide education and directional support to the general
public about the safe and effective use of cannabis (marijuana and hemp).
For more information or to schedule a consultation with a cannabis-certi-
fied nurse, call 844-LEAF411 (844-532-3411) or visit leaf411.org.
Although in-depth research lags due to its current scheduling, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)
remain increasingly popular treatment options for those struggling with the effects of trauma.