Medical Marijuana & PTSD

Medical marijuana offers the hope of relief and a return to normalcy for thousands of people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is a mal-adaptation of one’s fight-or-flight response, so that anxiety, hyper-vigilance, nightmares, and other symptoms can intrude upon one’s everyday life at anytime.

The body’s own set of cannabis-like chemicals, which are produced regardless of the intake of any marijuana, are pivotal in regulating one’s emotional responses. An analysis of the levels of these chemicals in the endocannabinoid systems of PTSD sufferers reveals consistently lower levels of anandamide and other cannabinoids. Correcting this imbalance with medical marijuana holds tremendous promise for patients.

Studies published in Molecular Psychiatry, Science Daily, and other journals depict how PTSD sufferers using prescription cannabis report fewer nightmares, less reliving of the initial traumatic event, and above all, a reduction in hyper-arousal. This means less avoidance of situations that reminds the patient of the triggering event, less aggression, and a fuller enjoyment of social interactions.