Canada: Doctor Hopes Medical Marijuana May Bring Relief For PTSD

[Jacob Redmond]

There are few studies in the world that have examined the medical capabilities of cannabis, but one Kamloops doctor is hoping to change the trend by studying the drug’s effect on patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Dr. Ian Mitchell, an emergency room doctor and physician-on-site for the local ReaLeaf Wellness Centre regularly prescribes medical marijuana to chronic pain sufferers. After meeting University of B.C. professor and psychologist Zach Walsh at a medical conference, the duo discussed the potential for a Canadian study on the medicinal properties of marijuana on post traumatic stress and decided to work together on a project.

The study, if approved by Health Canada and the university, would be the first of its kind to test strains of cannabis on approximately 40 patients - some veterans, others victims of sexual assault - suffering from symptoms caused by the disorder. If effective, Mitchell hopes the drug will essentially replace the need for stronger prescription drugs, like Paxil, typically used to treat the condition.

“You read the stories about people with PTSD and all the different medications they get tried on. It’s quite disturbing after a while - the side effects they go through, and the difficulty they have with medications,” he says.

Mitchell notes there has been a large historical trend of veterans using cannabis to curb symptoms of the disorder, such as poor sleep, nightmares and flashbacks, but says the effects have never been formally studied.

The doctor says he and Walsh, along with partners at government licensed producer Tilfor, would track the drugs effect on patients for the better part of a year if the study is approved.

If the project is successful, Mitchell believes it could help push government to consider covering it as a medical expense for the disorder, which he says representatives at Veterans Affairs Canada have started to do.

“The issue comes up that if you have something that is effectively a drug and treats your condition, are we going to pay for that in Canada? It becomes an interesting financial question of how to best deliver this medication and whether or not we should fund it publicly,” he says. “If we’re going to cover it then the studies have to be done that show it’s effective. We should be measuring whether it’s better for people to be on oxycodone long-term versus being on cannabis.”

Yesterday, March 19, an insurance firm approved covering medical marijuana expenses for a University of Waterloo student, which is the first approval of its kind in Canada, Mitchell says.

When asked why it’s taken until 2015 to test the medical properties of cannabis, he attributes the lack of scientific studies to a lengthy history of strict regulations in the United States.

“Essentially it’s difficult, if not impossible, to do this study in America,” Mitchell says.

He says the difficulty comes from there being only one legal farm in the country and the Mississippi-based location grows marijuana for specific research purposes that a study such as his wouldn't qualify for.

“Access to that cannabis is controlled by the National Institute for Drug Abuse and they only supply for studies that look at harm. So it’s not really possible to do a study looking at the benefit of cannabis in America. It’s not legal to do that,” Mitchell says.

Mitchell adds American doctors developed similar studies to his but were never given the green light by the U.S. government.

“I think there’s just a wealth of studies that need to be done and they’re going to be done in Canada and Israel.

"Hopefully the climate will change in America soon and more research can be done there,” he says.

If and when he gains approval for the study, it would be a number of years before results would be available because of the high level of analysis required. Should the study successfully match his hypothesis, Mitchell says he would continue studying the properties of cannabis on other medical conditions as well.

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Full Article: Kamloops Doctor hopes medical marijuana may bring relief for PTSD - Kamloops News - InfoNews.ca
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[SW420]

I'm living proof of someone who recovered rapidly from PTSD AND clinical depression with cannabis. I'm in my late 50's and in 2012 I began using cannabis once a week on Friday or Saturday nights. Initially I didn't use it every day because I was scared I might not be normal by the next day and I wanted that "next day" to be on a weekend.

Gradually I increased to both Friday and Saturday evenings. After about three to four months I was satisfied that the drug was not doing anything I couldn't deal with and I was no longer afraid of it.

At first I felt really guilty when the THC would take effect. I felt like I was committing some kind of crime even though I had my card. I'd be paranoid due to the anxiety and stress from the THC when it would first hit me. Sometimes it was pretty scary but I began to notice that when I felt scared and prayerfully meditated into it that the anxiety would lift much more easily than if I had that same anxiety but without cannabis.

That intrigued me as it seemed as though the cannabis was working by first intensifying the anxiety to a ridiculous level but at the same time I found the anxiety much easier to get rid of than if I only had 1/4 that much anxiety but no cannabis to help me get off the out of control roller coaster. I'm not sure how it works but it seems to both increase the problem but it simultaneously empowers the patient to more easily overcome the intensified emotions.

When I finally began using cannabis every evening before going to bed I noticed that it was helping me to control my anxiety. I could sleep through the night and when I awoke I didn't have a "sleeping pill hangover". Also I didn't awaken in an anxious state.

Before the cannabis I'd awaken in the morning with a huge rush of adrenaline the moment I realized I was awake. I'd wake up anxious without even thinking an anxious thought. I had chronic uncontrollable anxiety after being terrorized overseas by corrupt police, judges, and politicians trying to extort money from us because we had assets.

After cannabis I found that I'd awaken at peace in the mornings instead of anxious and fearful. I go to sleep at night. I can get up in the middle of the night and go back to sleep without anxiety overwhelming my every waking moment.

I only need to use it at night. I rarely need to during the day even if I'm a bit anxious I know I can last till evening. In the rare event that I cannot last till evening I don't force myself to -- I just break out the cannabis if I need it. But it's rare I can't last till evening. I recently stopped for 12 days before the PTSD symptoms threatened to return so I decided it's not time to come off the drug yet but I'm sure glad it was easy to not take it for a while.

I just decided that I wanted to see how long I could go before symptoms of PTSD came back. I'm not sure if they did or not but i was getting more migraines which also dropped substantially after cannabis. I didn't want to undo all the work the cannabis was doing in me having built up a level of THC (not delta 9) in my bloodstream.

I realize it's no longer psychoactive once the delta9 THC leaves my bloodstream but it still seems to have some lingering physical effects such as calm and peace.

It also helped my depression enormously because no matter how hard my day was I'd always look forward to laying in bed listening to music and enjoying life. It was the only enjoyment I'd had for years. A bright spot at the end of every day and the next day I'd wake up rested and refreshed. Nothing helps someone do better in life than being in a spectacularly good mood for a couple hours every day.