PTSD: Medical Marijuana Clinical Studies Confirm Benefits

PTSD: Medical Marijuana Clinical Studies Confirm Benefits

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/december122011/ptsd-israel-pl.php

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - West Coast Leaf- winter edition, just published the results of a two-year clinical trial about cannabis for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) comparing about 40 victims receiving cannabis with about 40 who did not. This work was done at Bat-Yam in Israel and reported at the Cannabinoid Conference 2011 in Bonn, Germany. (see: Marijuana could alleviate symptoms of PTSD Karin Kloosterman - Israel21c.org)

This follows by at least 40 years- combat testing beginning in Vietnam of cannabis for "combat terrors" and PTSD with great success and the basis for wide use by combat veterans and even civilians in the U.S., Australia, Canada and Great Britain. The Israeli Army has been using cannabis successfully for its soldiers for since it was officially announced by the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) but this seems to be the first clinically controlled study.

According to the article, the mechanism of action for adverse memory problems which IS PTSD, is based upon the CB-1 receptor in the brain. Laboratory mice which do not have CB-1 receptors have an impaired ability to extinguish disabling fear which is part of the basis for successfully treating PTSD.

Russo in 2005 reported that cannabis was used successfully thousands of years ago in ancient Indian medicine for this purpose but there have been dribs and drabs about this up to the therapeutic explosion by combat soldiers in Vietnam.

Rimonband, a medically used CB-1 blocker also works but it has too many adverse side effects for general use. (Lutz-2007) With probably several hundred thousand U.S. military PTSD victims already using cannabis for self-treatment of PTSD, it is astonishing that the VA system of using totally intolerable, zombifying drugs instead of medicine that works is confounding. The VA has been told to allow PTSD veterans to use cannabis, but they still seem unwilling to do so.

It is known that the PTSD veterans are escaping from the VA mistreatment but with Veterans' suicides increasing, alcoholism, increased illegal drug use, spousal abuse and possibly more than 300k PTSD veterans homeless, it is past wonder why somebody or some legislative body will not allow the use of medical cannabis for PTSD when it really works.

May God Help the PTSD Survivors.

How can we help PTSD combat veterans?

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