A traumatic incident, series of events, or set of circumstances may cause a person to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental disease. An individual may consider this to be emotionally, physically, or even life-threatening, which may have an effect on their mental, bodily, social, and/or spiritual health. Some examples include violent acts against personal partners, serious accidents, terrorist attacks, war and conflict, rape, and sexual assault, as well as historical trauma.
After suffering a traumatic stressor, a person may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a dangerous condition marked by the emergence of recognisable symptoms such as flashbacks, numbness, and avoidance. Many thousands of patients who found pharmaceutical options to be harmful or ineffective turned to medical marijuana for relief, and states are increasingly including PTSD on their lists of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis.
Patients have long suggested cannabis as a remedy for PTSD. Self-destructive behaviours, panic episodes, hypervigilance, isolation from others, and nightmares are just a few of the chronic problems this devastating illness causes. These powerful emotions can occasionally even lead to suicide. Despite the fact that there has been a lot of conflicting data on the matter, many people with PTSD still claim that cannabis helps.
If you reside in New York and are suffering from symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, you can apply for NY Medical Marijuana Card by consulting a licensed medical marijuana doctor .
Cannabis For PTSD
New studies now offer biological explanations for this therapeutic effect. There may be a place for cannabis in the treatment of PTSD, according to two recent studies. One shows how cannabis can reduce amygdala activity, a part of the brain associated with responses of fear to threats. Another theory suggests that the cannabinoids in the plant may aid in the removal of traumatic memories. According to recent studies, these effects could be beneficial for people who have PTSD.
Medical Use of Cannabis For PTSD
In 2009, New Mexico became the first state to officially identify PTSD as a qualifying illness, on the advice of an advisory council of eight doctors. Currently, all medical cannabis programmes allow the use of cannabis for PTSD, with the exception of Alaska and South Dakota. While five more states and Washington, D.C. give doctors broad discretion to recommend cannabis for any serious condition, 29 states (including Guam) specifically list it as a qualifying condition — either by statute or in regulations. (A chart illustrating the strategies used by the states is shown below.) Both Alaska and South Dakota have passed laws allowing all individuals 21 and older to use and access cannabis, despite the fact that PTSD is not a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in any state.
Medical Cannabis Vs AntiDepressents: Which is Safer?
Pharmaceutical treatments like antipsychotics and antidepressants are frequently used to treat PTSD, however, studies claim that these drugs may be hazardous or ineffective. The greatest study on the use of antipsychotics for the treatment of PTSD was summarised by The New York Times suggested that commonly prescribed medications have severe side effects and are ineffective at treating severe post-traumatic stress symptoms in veterans.
The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that as of May 18, a large number of states and four U.S. territories have legalised cannabis for medical use. Additionally, Washington D.C., two American territories, and 16 states have legalised the use of cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes. The VA and the DOD continue to forbid the prescription use of cannabis. The VA also estimates that up to one-third of all veterans and between 11 and 20 per cent of recent Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans suffer from PTSD.
How does medical marijuana assist in treating PTSD patients?
Many people think that using medicinal cannabis to treat PTSD sufferers is only intended to assist reduce stress, treat insomnia, and treat nightmares. The medical community, however, is aware that this is untrue because medical marijuana is recognised to lessen the most important traumatic memories.
The scientific justification is based on the fact that the cannabinoids included in medical cannabis have an impact on brain regions related to memory and learning. The medical use of cannabis enables the brain to control and lessen the intensity of traumatic memory outbursts, which lessens anxiety and other symptoms. Medical marijuana makes it possible for PTSD patients to full function and have trauma-free lives in this way.