PTSD to Soon be a Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabis in Arizona
Will Humble, Director of Arizona’s Department of Health Services, has announced that the state will soon add post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a condition that qualifies someone to become a legal medical cannabis patient.
Arizona’s flag.
The decision comes on the heals of a June 4th ruling by Judge Thomas Shedden, who ruled that the state needs to add PTSD as a qualifying condition because “a preponderance of evidence shows medical marijuana provides palliative benefit to those suffering from PTSD.”
Humble had until Wednesday to accept this ruling, or appeal it.
“Today I issued a Director’s Decision that will authorize the use of marijuana… for patients that are currently undergoing conventional treatment for a diagnosis of PTSD”, Humble said in a statement made about the decision. “Physician certifications would be valid only for the palliative care of PTSD symptoms (not treatment). Certifying physicians will be required to attest that they have reviewed evidence documenting that the patient is currently undergoing conventional treatment for PTSD before signing the medical marijuana certification.”
The change will take effect on January 1st of next year.
– TheJointBlog