Winning PTSD Combo? Low-dose THC combined with therapy is effective, a new study finds

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental illness that affects some people after experiencing or witnessing a shocking, traumatizing, or dangerous event.

While most people can recover from the intense emotions associated with confronting a traumatic situation, other people struggle with recovery and as a result develop PTSD. It’s more common for war veterans and anyone who has served in the military to suffer from PTSD due to the many different types of trauma the role exposes them to such as: B. Working in war zones, accidents in training, seeing and hearing shots, bombs, and so much more. But ordinary civilians can also suffer from PTSD after being exposed to psychological, physical, or sexual assault, a serious accident, miscarriage, domestic violence, and more.

PTSD is one of the more difficult conditions to treat, especially when the traumatic event experienced is severe. This painful memory becomes deeply embedded in the brain, making it difficult to forget. However, there are different degrees of PTSD: some with mild illness may improve immediately after a few sessions of psychotherapy, while others may need medication, psychotherapy, and a lot of time to feel much better.

Luckily, there is hope for traumatized people in the form of marijuana.

A new study published in the medical journal Neuropharmacology shows that low-dose THC, along with certain forms of therapy, can help people manage PTSD symptoms. Wayne State University researchers conducted double-blind studies involving 51 people who were given either doses of 7.5 mg of THC or a placebo pill. They then underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a medical procedure that analyzes even minute changes in cerebral blood flow and allows researchers to assess the participants’ mental status.

They were given emotional regulation tasks after receiving THC or the pills. These tasks included repeatedly presenting them with triggering images so that the participants could analyze the images and give them the opportunity to regulate their emotions. This process is called cognitive reappraisal.

RELATED: New study further proves THC has a beneficial effect on PTSD

“Cognitive reappraisal is a therapeutic emotion regulation strategy that has been extensively studied in individuals with mood and anxiety disorders, and numerous differences in brain activation patterns between individuals with and without PTSD during cognitive reappraisal tasks have been demonstrated,” they wrote.

Researchers found that those given THC were able to successfully manage all negative emotions. THC has also been found to activate parts of the brain that are normally known to be deactivated in people with PTSD. “THC may prove to be a beneficial pharmacological adjunct to cognitive reassessment therapy in the treatment of PTSD,” the study authors wrote.

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other studies

There are many other studies documenting the effectiveness of cannabinoids for treating PTSD.

In a 2021 study, the FDA for the first time regulated a study to analyze the benefits of inhaled cannabis in people with the condition. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study was peer-reviewed. Participants received either 11% CBD, 9% THC, or a mix of 8% THC and CBD.

“This study served as the first randomized placebo-controlled trial comparing the therapeutic potential of different THC and CBD ratios for treating PTSD symptoms,” explains the study’s lead author, Dr. Marcel O. Bonn-Miller. In particular, they found that those consuming 9% THC experienced the most significant improvements, although they noted that more research is needed to determine the most effective doses. “It would help determine the minimum effective doses of THC required to safely treat individuals with PTSD,” Bonn-Miller said. “It will also reduce the risk of cannabis addiction in this vulnerable demographic,” he adds.

RELATED: PTSD sufferers report the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis

Then, in 2020, an observational study published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research analyzed 150 PTSD patients over the course of a year. The researchers wanted to study the difference between people who used cannabis and those who didn’t. The study did not use controls, although patients were analyzed every 3 months with self-administered tests, which helped researchers understand frequency of cannabis use and methods of consumption.

The researchers discovered that patients treated with cannabis showed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms year-round. They were also more than twice as likely to no longer meet the clinical criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Why cannabis works

It is very common for people with PTSD to turn to substances such as alcohol and drugs to distract them from nightmares and negative emotions. However, other alcohols and other drugs can only make it worse. On the other hand, cannabis and CBD products are the safest substances for treating PTSD.

The human body’s endocannabinoid system helps regulate bodily processes, including those that are out of balance due to trauma. These include the hormones responsible for sleep, memory and anxiety. Consuming THC and CBD interacts with your own healing endocannabinoid system, affecting processes that can help you recover from PTSD. Many people already have access to PTSD in states that have made it a qualifying condition for medical marijuana. Determining how much to take to relieve your symptoms can take a trial and error process, as everyone reacts differently.

Research continues to determine how we can maximize the cannabis plant to recover from PTSD. In the meantime, you can consult a marijuana-informed doctor to learn more about using cannabis to treat PTSD symptoms.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.