You can request a recommendation if you or someone you know is interested in medical marijuana in treating veterans suffering from PTSD in Louisiana. 

What Is PTSD? How Many People Use MMJ To Cure It?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be a life-threatening and debilitating condition that can develop after an incident involving trauma. People with PTSD may experience extreme nightmares and flashbacks related to that event which can trigger hypervigilance, panic attacks and other overpowering emotions that are hard to control.

PTSD can be a very difficult illness to manage, both as a caregiver and also for those who are patients. Some people suffering from PTSD believe that medical marijuana helps them to cope with their distressing symptoms. 

According to a survey by the Department of Veterans Affairs, nearly two-thirds of patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD use medical marijuana in order to get through or manage these difficult conditions.

The public's use of medical marijuana has increased dramatically over the past decade. 19.8 million people (aged 12 and older) started using medical marijuana back in 2013,  leading up to 27.7 million using it in 2018,  clearly showing that the number of people who have reported using it has risen dramatically.

Similar results can be seen in the daily use of medical cannabis over the past decade, increasing as much as 60%.

U.S. veterans have also seen an increase in medical marijuana use. The United States has 9% of veterans who admitted to using medical marijuana in the years before 2014. 

In 2019-2020, veterans aged 18 to 44 had a usage rate of 6.9% for prior medical cannabis use. However, those 45 years and older had a usage rate of over 20%.

Use Medical Marijuana to Treat PTSD

New research shows that medical marijuana could be beneficial for people suffering from PTSD. According to researchers, medical marijuana users were 2.57 times more likely than non-users to experience post-traumatic stress disorder recovery.

There was a study in which California San Diego, Pennsylvania, Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado and the John Hopkins School of Medicine all participated, and also received significant funding from the Public Health and Environmental Department of Colorado. 

Study participants who used medical cannabis experienced less severe PTSD symptoms and recovered from them quicker than those who did not use cannabis.Those who experienced symptoms that were less severe and who also used medical cannabis, were able to recover much faster from their condition than those who did not have access to the cannabis.

How Medical Cannabis Can Help With PTSD

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who suffered from acute anxiety and paranoia benefited from medical marijuana to relieve their symptoms.

The year-long study found that medical cannabis users were 2.5 times more likely than others to experience PTSD relief. This shows that medical marijuana may not only reduce symptoms but may also help patients heal from traumas that led to their PTSD. 

Scientists studying the effects of cannabis on the brain, memory and stress response have hypothesized that medical cannabis could help people recover from PTSD.

Is Medical Marijuana A Treatment Or A Cure For PTSD Symptoms?

Many PTSD sufferers claim that they were able to deal with these conditions much more easily after using medical marijuana. This severe disorder can cause panic attacks, nightmares and hypervigilance. People with this disorder can also experience other symptoms leading to separation from family members, anxiety, depression, self-destructive behavior and separation from other people.

Recent research suggests that medical cannabis could be used to effectively and safely treat PTSD. According to one study, medical cannabis may reduce the activity in the amygdala (a brain region that is involved with fear reactions to threats). 

Another suggests that the cannabinoids found in medical cannabis may be able to eliminate painful memories. For those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), both effects could be beneficial.