post traumatic stress disorder marijuana Archives

Study: Cannabinoids May Prevent Depressive and PTSD-Like Symptoms Following Severe Stress

February 21, 2018 by Anthony Martinelli

Cannabinoids may prevent both depressive and PTSD-like symptoms following exposure to severe stress, according to a new study being published by the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.

“Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition highly comorbid with depression”, begins the abstract of the study, which was also published by the U.S. National Institute of Health. “The endocannabinoid (eCB) system and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are suggestively involved in both disorders.” For the study, researchers “examined whether cannabinoids can prevent the long-term depressive-like symptoms induced by exposure to the shock and situational reminders (SRs) model of PTSD.”

Researchers administered a compound meant to mimic the effects of natural cannabinoids in rats two hours after a severe shock. “Cannabinoids prevented the shock/SRs-induced alterations in social recognition memory, locomotion, passive coping, anxiety-like behavior, anhedonia, fear retrieval, fear extinction and startle response as well as the decrease in BDNF levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC)”, states the study. “Furthermore, significant correlations were found between depressive-like behaviors and BDNF levels in the brain.”

Legislation Allowing Medical Cannabis for PTSD and Chronic Pain Approved by New Hampshire Legislature

May 11, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

A measure allowing medical cannabis for post traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain has been approved by New Hampshire’s Senate.

The legislation has already been approved by the state’s House of Representatives; it will soon be sent to Governor Chris Sununu for consideration.

The proposed law would allow those with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain to become legal medical cannabis patients by adding the conditions to the state’s medical cannabis program. Those with PTSD or chronic pain would first need to receive a recommendation from a physician, and register with the state, before they can legally purchase, possess and use cannabis for medical purposes; this is the case with all other qualifying medical conditions.

New York Committee Votes Unanimously to Allow Medical Marijuana for PTSD

April 26, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

A key legislative committee in New York has voted to add post traumatic stress disorder to the state’s list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions.

Assembly Bill 7006 was passed yesterday by the Assembly Health Committee with a unanimous 26 to 0 vote. The proposal is sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of 36 Assemblymembers (30 Democrats and 6 Republicans). The measure must now be passed by a second committee before it can be scheduled for a vote by the full Assembly.

Both Assembly Bill 7006 and its companion legislation Senate Bill 5629 would allow those with PTSD to legally purchase, possess and use cannabis and cannabis medicines if they receive a recommendation from a physician and become registered with the state as a medical cannabis patient.

Colorado Senate Committee Votes to Allow those with PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder to Use Medical Cannabis

February 1, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

A Colorado Senate committee has given unanimous approval to legislation that would add two ailments to the list of qualifying medical cannabis conditions.

Senate Bill 17, which passed the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee with a 5 to 0 vote, now heads towards a vote by the full Senate. It would add post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder as conditions that qualify an individual to possess, use and purchase medical cannabis; they of course would first need to receive a recommendation from a physician.

Acute stress disorder, which is much less talked about than PTSD, is “characterized by the development of severe anxiety, dissociative, and other symptoms that occurs within one month after exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor (e.g., witnessing a death or serious accident)“, according to PsychCentral.com. “As a response to the traumatic event, the individual develops dissociative symptoms.”