Medical Cannabis Providing Relief from PTSD-related Symptoms BY MICHAEL C. PATTERSON
In the soon to be released September 2020 issue of Journal of Affective Disorders, a study done by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and Washington State University, Department of Psychology demonstrated that cannabis provides temporary relief from PTSD-related symptoms. However, it may not be an effective long-term remedy or cure. The link to the study is below.
Further data analysis revealed the following: Higher
found to have increased PTSD symptoms or negative
doses of cannabis (i.e. more puffs/inhalation) predict-
side effects from taking cannabis. As a physician con-
ed greater symptom relief for anxiety and intrusive
sidering prescribing cannabis as a symptom treatment
thoughts than lower doses. Also, the longer the study
for PTSD, this is a very important factor to consider.
went on, participants used more cannabis per session.
This study validates that cannabis is a safe medical
This may indicate an increased tolerance to cannabis
treatment for PTSD symptoms and should be con-
over time.
sidered as a safe alternative to heavier FDA approved
The conclusion of the study indicates that cannabis provides transient relief from PTSD symptoms,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/ S0165032720306364
but long-term cannabis use may not improve the severity of PTSD. In other words, cannabis is help-
Lifetime prevalence of PTSD is known to affect
ing decrease major PTSD symptoms, but cannabis is
approximately 8 percent of the U.S. population (over
not a cure for PTSD.
26 million people). PTSD among women is almost
Analysis
3 times more prevalent than men. The effects of PTSD can be debilitating and even life threatening
This study is important for what it says, but just as
via suicides and attempted suicides. With the con-
important for what it does not say. No participant was
medications with profound side effects and addictive tendencies. Michael C. Patterson, founder and CEO of U.S. Cannabis Pharmaceutical Research & Development of Melbourne, is a consultant for the development of the medical marijuana industry nationwide and in Florida. He serves as a consultant to Gerson Lehrman Group, New York and helps educate GLG partners on specific investment strategies and public policy regarding Medical Marijuana in the U.S. and Internationally. He can be reached at mpatterson@uscprd.com
tinued legalization of medical cannabis at the state level in the U.S., there are more citizens that can access medical cannabis. Also, with almost every legal medical cannabis state approving PTSD as a qualify-
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In order to study the effectiveness of cannabis with
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PTSD, researchers at University of Pennsylvania and Washington State used archival data from Strainprint, a
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medical cannabis technology platform with a journaling app which allows users to track changes in symptom severity as a function of their cannabis use. Data was collected 20 minutes after patients self-administered cannabis for PTSD through an inhalation method
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(smoking, vaping, concentrate, dab). Ingestion method for cannabis was not used due to the delayed and unpredictable uptake within the body in which some
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users show symptom relief in 30 minutes, while others could take 3-4 hours to experience symptom relief.
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The final sample of participants totaled 404 patients (220 women, 179 Men, 8 “other”). The participants inputed data into the Strainprint app 11,797
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times over a span of 31 months (March 2017-October 2019). The symptoms the participants were asked
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to track were intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, irritabil-
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ity, and/or anxiety. The results from the study found dramatic decrease in symptoms for almost all participants. Symptom
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reductions for intrusive thoughts (98 percent reduction), flashbacks (92 percent reduction), irritability (97 percent reduction), and anxiety (93 percent reduction). The data further suggested that concentrations of THC, CBD and interactions between THC
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of any of the four symptoms assessed.
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