The pros and cons of using cannabis for ptsd

[Lionheart]

I want to get somewhere that I can legally use medical cannabis oil for my PTSD, COPD, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome etc., as I have heard that the right forms of cannabis can be beneficial for all of these conditions, probably best ingested or vaporized.

I like cannabis because it tends to slow down my thought processes and allows me more control and better maintenance of my feelings, fears etc. although occasionally when around crudeness it does tend to make the condition worse, so I really need to follow the latest research into these conditions.

Thank you for a well-written article. It is the best I have read in a long time and I am one of the people that requested this article be written so, I am proud of the way it has turned out! Thank you so much.

Sincerely,
Lionheart777

 

[blackemerald1]

Really interesting article.

Thanks for all your work & research in presenting the status of Cannabis re PTSD.

 

[joeylittle]

There seems to be a hemp oil that extracts the CBD and not THC from cannabis that people are vaping for PTS...

A great deal of research is focused on CBD – many conditions would benefit from access to the pure benefits of CBD, minus the psychoactive properties of THC. The problem currently is the lack of regulation in available products. As you say – no federal agency is in charge of testing any CBD product that is available for unregulated sale in the US. There is no way to know what you are getting, unless you have access to a lab and can purity-test the product yourself.

The company to watch, in CBD application, is a UK-based company named GW Pharmaceuticals. They have developed a product called Epidolex, for managing epilepsy in children. It contains only extracted (not synthesized) CBD, and is undergoing trials in the US.

A number of anti-convulsants are already in fairly wide use for management of various mental-health issues. Once Epidolex has been granted full approval by the FDA as an anti-convulsant, it would seem logical to expect off-label (and eventually approved), use in handling psychiatric disorders as well.

Until then, it’s really a ‘buyer beware’ situation. When conducting research, make sure to look beyond the information supplied by CBD suppliers – that link you provided is a piece written by the company that is selling the product, though it looks on the surface like a stand-alone research piece. Generally, publications dedicated to the broader topic of cannabis (Leaf Science and The Cannabist are both good sources).

 

[anthony]

I kind of wish I could use cannabis only for the nausea I often experience due to anxiety, but I last smoke...

If medical marijuana is legal in your state, you may want to look into the established high-CBD, low THC strains. The ratio that you would like to see, a sort of best-case for what appears to be medically available, is somewhere around 24:1. But, with regulation still in early stages, you would want to proceed with caution.

 

[Sabine_91]

I smoke like 6 grams a week, it works great for me. I haven’t used antidepressants for 3 years. I use it after work and it numbs me to a state of mind where I don’t have to think as much as I usually do.

 

[Ahhlia]

I find some strains give me more anxiety but help relax the neck and shoulder pain and muscle spasms. I was using a hybrid, which is a mix of Indica and Sativa, to balance the effects. I use to smoke it but before quitting in Feb 2016 I tried vaping and using concentrates. I only quit because my SSDI lawyer recommended I do that. I can tell you that I have not found any pain killer or muscle relaxer I can use that works with my Celaxa 60mgs. No matter if I take the Naproxen and Robaxin, I still suffer from neck tightness and shoulder and arm pain. So for the 12-18 months, which they said it would take to get approved, I have to live with the pain in those areas. The thought of that alone depresses me and gives me some anxiety.

 

[Truth]

Hi i have PTSD have smoked for the past 21 years. I have a degree and work with trauma survivors. It is nice to have an intellectual conversation on the topic

 

[Monkeydo]

Hi i have PTSD have smoked for the past 21 years. I have a degree and work with trauma survivors. It is n...

If it’s an intellectual conversation re. Ptsd and cannabis that you’d like, I know just the man. My mental health care practitioner (who believes that I suffer a duel diagnosis of cptsd and cannabis dependence) is apparently in desperate need of exactly that. He refuses to listen to me of course, but then I am quite mad.

 

[Mach123]

I was at my pdoc yesterday and said (as usual) smoking has been pretty much a miracle for me in terms of symptom reduction and the comparison between "being on pot or being on those other drugs." I'm so much better there is "pretty much no comparison." That's a quote actually from the people who know me best, not just me saying it. The doctor also says, "it's a miracle for some people, not everybody." It's not perfect. It'll do for now.

 

[mumstheword]

I smoked pretty regularly from 16 to 37, with the odd break in between. I helped me through anorexia, got me out of chronic severe depression, self harm and alcoholism. It gave me quality of life instead of being so ill I necked myself.

It didn't help me get out of an abuse cycle though, and it masked certain symptoms and exacerbated others.

I've experience drug, nutrient deficiency and long term stress and abuse induced psychosis.Certain types of high THC weed definitely triggered the psychosis, high THC weed intensified my paranoia and hypervigilance too.

It's definitely not harmless and is, in my opinion, a mixed bag of help and hindrance.

I believe, more research should be done on isolating strains that help emolliate the nervous hyperalert of ptsd, as it certainly beats a lot of negative effects of other lab created drugs.

In my experience, It's better for management of acute symptoms, rather than a long term solution for overcoming and managing PTSD.

 

[shimmerz]

I think one of the most important things that has been mentioned in this posting is something JL stated. I`m not going to go back and quote....

I take CBD during the day and THC at night time. It has changed my reality. My life situation. My ability to hope and dream again. All for the positive.

However, I take my dosing very seriously. I do it to heal - not to get high. I don`t vape because it hits me and drops me too quickly. I don`t take edibles because I don`t have control over how much I am imbibing.

I am doing this to heal. Which actually makes me feel much better than taking it to zone out and get high.

Thanks for this article. Well done for certain JL

 

[IamFree]

don't know anything about medical use of cannabis...personally I have always thought it was the devils brood as my sister has been dependent for years with disastrous consequences. But I am open minded that its different strokes for different folks. The thing is with recreational use as there is no way of knowing what way it is going to go for anyone one mans meat is another mans poison as the saying goes. personally it just makes me feel very paranoid .