Should marijuana be used to treat psychological pain? Some Coloradan military veterans and the medical marijuana advocacy group Sensible Colorado say the answer is yes when it comes to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Earlier this week, they submitted a petition to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to add PTSD, a potentially debilitating condition characterized by fear and flashbacks, to the list of conditions eligible for medical marijuana use in the state.
As more states legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, they also have to decide which conditions qualify for its use. So far, only New Mexico specifically allows for marijuana to treat PTSD.
California, the first state to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, put out a research report earlier this year about what conditions appear to benefit from its use. The one PTSD-related study cited in the report was in mice, and found no apparent benefit in using cannabis-like compounds to decrease fear behaviors. But other studies, like this one published in the Archives of General Psychiatry in 2009, have shown that some of the active components of cannabis appear to decrease anxiety.
The state public health department has 120 days to decide whether or not to hold a public hearing on the matter, according to Sensible Colorado's Brian Vicente.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Wall Street Journal
Author: Shirley S. Wang
Contact: Wall Street Journal
Copyright: 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Website: Adding PTSD to the Medical Marijuana Mix
Earlier this week, they submitted a petition to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to add PTSD, a potentially debilitating condition characterized by fear and flashbacks, to the list of conditions eligible for medical marijuana use in the state.
As more states legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, they also have to decide which conditions qualify for its use. So far, only New Mexico specifically allows for marijuana to treat PTSD.
California, the first state to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, put out a research report earlier this year about what conditions appear to benefit from its use. The one PTSD-related study cited in the report was in mice, and found no apparent benefit in using cannabis-like compounds to decrease fear behaviors. But other studies, like this one published in the Archives of General Psychiatry in 2009, have shown that some of the active components of cannabis appear to decrease anxiety.
The state public health department has 120 days to decide whether or not to hold a public hearing on the matter, according to Sensible Colorado's Brian Vicente.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Wall Street Journal
Author: Shirley S. Wang
Contact: Wall Street Journal
Copyright: 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Website: Adding PTSD to the Medical Marijuana Mix
