Headline: May 26, 2008 – Marijuana As a Treatment for PTSD – There is a crisis among the legions of America’s veterans - five hundred suicides a month and over three hundred thousand backloged disability claims involving PTSD and depression.
Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth have brought suit in a San Francisco Federal Court against the Department of Veterans Affairs to force it to upgrade it’s mental health program for veterans and recognize the need for effective treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The VA wants to hire 1,300 therapists to solve the problem, but PTSD patients have poor responses to psychotherapy and often turn to alcohol and drugs. Moreover, many suffer from chronic pain and addictions to opiate pain medications.
As a result, many have turned to Cannabis under California medical marijuana laws, finding it to be uniquely suited to successful treatment of PTSD and new research is confirming Cannabis’ benefits. Eight percent of medical Cannabis patients surveyed in California suffer from PTSD. Unfortunately, veterans are forced to sign “pain contracts“, which require drug tests for dispensing of narcotic pain medications. If a chronic pain patient tests positive for marijuana, his narcotic pain medicines will be discontinued. This is tragic, as the latest science from Europe shows a symbiotic relationship between Cannabis and opiates, allowing a chronic pain patient to take much less narcotics – a benefit for long term health.
At the Fifth Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, hosted by Patients Out of Time in California, April, 2008, Air Force Veteran Michael Krawitz describes his history of chronic pain and his current attempts to get the VA to recognize the need for access to medicinal Cannabis for veterans suffering from pain and PTSD. Michael was denied drug treatment for his chronic pain for refusing to sign a “pain contract” – see his story in the news article cited above.Veterans, Pain Contracts & Medical Cannabis- Michael Krawitz
At the Third Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, held in May of 2004, Professor Raphael Mechoulam from Israel examines the potential of Cannabis as treatment for PTSD. Dr. Mechoulam, who first isolated and named THC in 1964, postulates that Cannabinoids aid the natural brain function of discarding unneeded information.Cannabinoid System in Neuroprotection, Raphael Mechoulam,PhD
Also at the Third Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, Dr. Sandra Welch presents research demonstrating the symbiotic actions between THC and opiate medications in the treatment of acute and chronic pain.Opiate & Cannabinoid Interactions, with Sandra Welch
Wu -Wei.
“Sit and Forget”
- Lao Tzu
5 Comments
I agreed with you
Great insite Lets get this passed!!!I am one of those on the wait list and it helped with my moraphine nausea can I be prescribed living in another state have quit as not to be kicked outta program!
i agree that this should be passed.i think they should pass it in every state i live in albuquerque new mexico and have ptsd and i think it is the only thing that helps my flash backs and night terrors i cant wait tell this is passed. i think every day life will be easier
I have been diagnosed with PTSD and severe TBI. I went to a Program in Yountville, Ca called the Pathway Home. I believe it is the best program in the world to treat PTSD, TBI. I graduated from the program after being there for 11 months. When I was there I haved tried 22 different medications which no combination had worked for me. I then heard from a injured retired marine that he had been using medical marijuana for his PTSD and depression. He said he had tried everything and that this worked for him. I went to San Francisco and saw the Doc. He prescribed me the medical marijuana. I was eating the edibles and I finally found something that really worked. I recently got back to my unit and told them that I had been using medical Marijuana. They did a UA on me and now they want to chapter me out. I need your help or guidance. I feel that I found something that worked and now I am being punished for it.
I am a disabled veteran with chronic PTSD, and I have used medmj for 20 years. My VA doctors in Denver, CO recommended it to many of us vets there. I now live in MI. where it is now legal, but my doctors at the VA here will only sign for terminal cancer veteran patients, i.e., dying vets, but not living vets.
I have always told my doctors, nurses, and social workers that I use it, and do not abuse it. They have never tested me, or asked me to sign a pain contract. We veterans are all treated differently by different VA doctors. The VA needs to make the moral and ethical decision to allow us the medicines that really help PTSD.
Martin H. Chilcutt
Executive Director
Veterans for Medical Marijuana.org
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[...] PrivateLabelArticles wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptHeadline: May 26, 2008 – Marijuana As a Treatment for PTSD – There is a crisis among the legions of America’s veterans. Five Hundred suicides a month, over three hundred thousand backloged disability claims involving PTSD and depression. Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth have brought suit in a San Fransisco Federal Ciurt against the Department of Veterans Affairs to force it to upgrade it’s mental health program for veterans and recognize the need for effective treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The VA wants to hire 1,300 therapists to solve the problem, but PTSD patients have poor responses to psychotherapy and often turn to alcohol and drugs. Moreover, many suffer from chronic pain and addictions to opiate pain medications. As a result, many have turned to Cannabis under California medical marijuana laws, finding it to be uniquely suited to successful treatment of PTSD and new research is confirming Cannabis’ benefits. […] [...]
[...] braininjury wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptFive Hundred suicides a month, over three hundred thousand backloged disability claims involving PTSD and depression. … t to upgrade it’s mental health program for veterans and recognize the need for effective treatments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder…. [...]