Maine Legislature Votes to Add PTSD as Qualifying Medical Cannabis Condition

Maine Legislature Votes to Add PTSD as Qualifying Medical Cannabis Condition

Maine’s full House, and Senate, approved LD 1062 today, a measure to add post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a qualifying condition for an individual to become a legal medical cannabis patient. The vote comes less than a week after Oregon’s governor signed a proposal adding PTSD to Oregon’s medical cannabis program. Three other states – Connecticut, New Mexico and Delaware – also have PTSD explicitly listed as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.

Maine lawmakers did the right thing with this vote. A recent study – conducted by the New York University School of Medicine – found that one of marijuana’s primary compounds may combat the symptoms of PTSD by bringing equilibrium in the prison’s CB1 receptors. Other research has indicated that cannabis can be helpful in treating PTSD, and may even help prevent it, if administered quickly after a traumatic experience.

The measure now heads to the governor for final consideration.

– TheJointBlog