A study published in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids examined cannabis use’s potential therapeutic effects for patients with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results indicate an association between treatment with THC-predominant cannabis flower and symptomatic improvement for up to six months in a cohort of United Kingdom civilians diagnosed with PTSD. Patients reported improved quality of sleep and reduced PTSD-associated symptoms. The UK legalized the use of medical cannabis for patients who found conventional treatments unsuccessful. Roughly 4% of the UK population has PTSD,
The researchers analyzed the use of THC-dominant cannabis flower to alleviate PTSD symptoms of 58 patients with a confirmed PTSD diagnosis. The researchers analyzed data from the UK patient registry known as T21. The participants completed questionnaires that focused on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) reflecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mood/anxiety, sleep, and PTSD-specific symptoms.
The study included fifty-eight patients. Most participants were male (65.5%) and roughly 39.2 years old. Most participants had only used non-regulated or illegal cannabis (95.6%) prior to the study.
At 3 months, participants reported significant improvements in overall health, mood, and sleep quality. A majority of participants reported substantial benefits in managing intrusion symptoms, mood alterations, and reactivity alterations. None of the participants reported any side effects associated with cannabis-based medical products (CBMPs).
Data analysis showed the participants reported a 16.8-point reduction in their symptom severity scores following six months of cannabis treatment. The participants also reported significant enhancements in mood, sleep quality, and overall wellness.
The participants also reported improvements with what researchers have termed “the restored self”. Participants explained that they are once again finding satisfaction in socializing and activities. They also claimed that cannabis alleviates PTSD symptoms such as anxiety and averse memories. The research team plans to conduct future studies that evaluate the long-term safety and outcomes of medical cannabis use for patients with PTSD.
Sources: Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, NORML