Data Clear THC has a positive effect on PTSD

Veterans give their all there and experience things that the average citizen rarely experiences. In Canada and America alone there are 17 million people, over a million of whom suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Data now shows that THC from marijuana has a positive effect on PTSD. The US Department of Veterans Affairs is working to provide medical marijuana to veterans.

Research has consistently shown that the human endocannabinoid system plays a significant role in PTSD. People with PTSD have greater availability of cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1) compared to trauma-exposed or healthy controls (18,19). As a result, cannabis use in individuals with PTSD could result in a short-term reduction in PTSD symptoms.

Photo by Esther Kelleter/EyeEm/Getty Images

Researchers at Wayne State University in Michigan have been working to help. They published data in the journal Neuropharmacology. The study found that combining a specific type of therapy and moderate amounts of THC was particularly beneficial for people with PTSD.

RELATED: Veterans and Cannabis: What the Law Is Now and Where It Could Be Heading

They conducted a double-blind experiment with 51 participants. These subjects were randomly assigned to receive 7.5mg of THC or a placebo pill and were kept under supervision and time management. Participants were scanned by MRI, with researchers regularly checking their mental status.

After consuming their pills, at the peak of THC effects, the researchers presented participants with emotional regulation tasks, such as showing participants how to trigger images and repeating them, with the aim of getting them to reevaluate them and thus successfully regulate their emotions.

RELATED: Veterans and Cannabis: What the Law Is Now and Where It Could Be Heading

Results showed that only participants who had consumed THC were able to reduce and manage their negative emotions. The compound also activated areas of her brain that are typically atrophied in people with PTSD. “THC may prove to be a useful pharmacological adjunct to cognitive reassessment therapy in the treatment of PTSD,” the study authors wrote.

RELATED: PTSD sufferers report the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis

This study is not the first to find an association between THC and PTSD, but it is the first to examine the influence of THC on cognitive reassessment tasks for individuals with PTSD, which is important. When clients are able to successfully reassess their emotions, they are more likely to repeat that behavior in the future, thereby reducing anxiety and negative reactions. This suggests that THC could be an effective way to treat these patients and improve their symptoms.

RELATED: Amid rising suicide rates, Nebraska’s governor says there’s no evidence cannabis helps veterans with PTSD

PTSD sufferers report that THC helps them with migraines, panic attacks, and overwhelming emotions.

Regrettably, for the first time, there was a key Senate panel on advanced legislation that would require Veterans Affairs to conduct clinical trials into the use of medicinal cannabis to treat chronic pain and post-traumatic stress. Key GOP members blocked the bill, currently blocking the path of relief for citizens who have served.