The FDA is permitting a large cohort of American veterans to smoke medical cannabis in a study aimed at gaining insights for combatting PTSD. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has been pushing for this since 2021.
It will compare the effects of regular cannabis flower inhalation against placebo weed consumption. The trial organizers have obtained approval for burning flower regularly, but their application to use vaporizers has not been authorized, yet.
MAPS founder Rick Doblin says he has listened to several veterans talk about the benefits of smoking cannabis for PTSD first-hand. He is quite enthused about the approval milestone.
“Suicide among Veterans is an urgent public health crisis, but it’s solvable if we invest in researching new treatments for life-threatening health conditions like PTSD,” Doblin said in a MAPS news release Wednesday.
Funding for the study is coming from Michigan tax revenue generated by marijiuana sales. The research could potentially provide data about how cannabis can reduce intake of other medications and substances among participants. Bud is being supplied by Canadian growers.
🇺🇸F.D.A. Lights One Up: Weed Study Approved for Veterans with PTSD
For the first time, the F.D.A. is letting researchers use high-potency weed to study its effects on PTSD in veterans.
The study’s got 320 vets, a $12.9M budget, and some seriously strong THC from Canada.
It’s… pic.twitter.com/4DsB06HMne
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 20, 2024
Read more: Washington D.C. pot consumption dwarfed by Vermont only, U.S. study finds
Read more: New York pot farmers take state authorities to court over adult-use rollout measures
Georgia veteran advocates for expanded access
A Purple Heart recipient has been preaching about the benefits of low THC oil. Last week, he described how it has been absolutely essential to help fight his post-traumatic stress disorder. Gary Herber is one of only 14,000 state residents eligible for Georgia’s Low THC Oil Registry.
“For those of us that just know that fight every single day, a program like this and medicines like this can make that fight a little easier,” Herber described.
He feels that far more of the state’s 600,000 veterans need to have access to this medical cannabinoid supply program.
On a more positive note in the U.S., The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services just provided US$6.5 million from its medical marijuana program to the Missouri Veterans Commission.
Some veterans are so passionate about pot that they have even created their own brands. One of these in New York, deemed “Silly Nice,” has over 70 dispensaries established throughout the Empire State.
A 2021 study completed by the National Institutes of Health found that 11.9 per cent of American veterans reported using the plant within six months. Another investigation by the American Legion (AL) determined that 22 per cent of them use cannabis to alleviate mental and physical health conditions.
About 82 per cent believe that pot should be rescheduled at the federal level, the AL says.
rowan@mugglehead.com
