Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects 3.5% of adults in the U.S every year. This psychiatric disorder is tricky because it’s extremely different for everyone. The hardest part for those who have been diagnosed with PTSD is dealing with the unpredictable triggers, nightmares, panic attacks, and hypervigilance. There are even overwhelming symptoms which can lead to suicide. Sadly many PTSD patients turn to the bottle or pills to cope with the trauma, but oftentimes this just worsens the situation. For years, PTSD patients have been using medical marijuana and CBD to treat these symptoms, and just recently more studies have been conducted to back it up. It’s about time!

The Science Behind PTSD & Marijuana

Recent studies are proving that weed has a positive impact on PTSD patients. Cannabis can help reduce activity in the part of our brain that is associated with fear and responses to threats. One study shows that cannabinoids can possibly play a part in extinguishing traumatic memories. Both of these effects are being proven to be therapeutic for PTSD sufferers.

Extinction Learning

Extinction learning is the process where one’s brain begins to resolve the results of a past trauma. Most individuals who experience a traumatic incident have their fears and strong reactions calm down after 6 months. New memories slowly blur out the old. At first they might be triggered by many things, but over time, the burst of fear from the trigger goes away. This is not the case of those with post traumatic stress disorder. 

With PTSD, the trauma continues to bring up old memories and overwhelm the sufferer. Using marijuana to treat PTSD symptoms can actually have deeper effects to help repair the endocannabinoid system, therefore allowing the patient to begin the normal extinction learning. In other words, weed can help jumpstart the subconscious healing.

How to Incorporate Cannabis Into PTSD Treatments

You’ll probably hear this every time when looking into cannabis for medicinal use: start with a low dose! This is especially crucial with PTSD because the side effects of too much weed can create heightened-anxiety and paranoia. Low doses can enhance the extinction rate for difficult memories and reduce overall anxiety symptoms caused by the disorder. 

Hybrid strains (blends of Indica and Sativa) tend to work best for PTSD patients. This could be because one calms the mind while the other calms the body; and PTSD has a combination of psychological and physical symptoms. Specific strains popular for treating PTSD are Skunk Plus, White Lotus, and Snow Leopard.

While consumption style really depends on the user, smoking is considered one of the best ways to go. When smoking a blunt, users have the opportunity to control their high just taking it one puff at a time. Edibles can be specifically helpful for sleep, but users should be extra careful because edibles last longer, the high takes longer to hit, and it can come on strong out of nowhere. This could be detrimental for the user if they’re already paranoid!

PTSD patients particularly prefer THC/CBD ratios because of their complimenting factors. The THC helps the extinction rate while CBD helps alleviate potential side effects of the THC. The studies and anecdotal evidence have proven that marijuana suppresses anxiety without long-term effects like addiction or brain damage. On a chemical level, it can help heal temporary and long-term symptoms.

The Veteran Marijuana Paradox

One of the most common examples of PTSD is its effects on veterans. The horrors of war have rocked soldiers since the beginning of time, and even with the development of modern medicine, PTSD for war veterans has been difficult to treat. Many vets have found comfort in medical marijuana.

This year there was an FDA-regulated study that proved smoking weed specifically helps veterans with their PTSD. The year-long study showed that cannabis users experienced a greater decrease in the severity of symptoms from the disorder. In the trial, users were 2.5x less likely to meet PTSD diagnosis criteria. The study also proved that veterans can self-manage doses without side effects or worsening of symptoms. 

Mike Donnelly, founder of The CBD Path and former Navy SEAL, was motivated to create a wellness brand that offered superior CBD. Donnelly connects veterans with the positive benefits of CBD. The CBD Path website is also a great resource for CBD education and advocating for a change in policies for veterans regarding marijuana.

And herein lies the paradox. Along with PTSD, many veterans suffer chronic pain and severe injuries most of us can’t fathom. Cannabis could be so helpful for these suffering individuals but there’s a catch: federal jobs become “off-limits” for vets who use cannabis, even CBD. This even applies in states where recreational marijuana is legal. 

Controversial incarceration is often connected to cannabis and this is a common case among veterans. There’s a man named Sean Worsley who is facing 5 years for possessing marijuana that a doctor prescribed him. Where’s the “honor” for this veteran?!

In Conclusion, Yes! Marijuana Helps Treat PTSD

The science is finally backing it up and as more states legalize and push for pro-cannabis legislation, marijuana can be seen as a respectable, proven treatment for PTSD and other anxiety disorders. Here’s hoping that as weed normalizes, the stigma around it goes away and it becomes more accepted, especially for those who really need it, like veterans. The more we educate ourselves, our peers, and our leaders, the more we can open up this conversation and make some positive changes for good!