Thoughts from the void: Cannabis and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

- Eaze

'Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is a highly prevalent disorder among the world population, particularly veterans. Whether from childhood neglect, being around violence, domestic abuse, or serving in the military, PTSD affects millions.

On December 9, 2020, a team of investigators published a study on the long-term effects of cannabis on 150 participants. Splitting up the group between those using dispensary cannabis and controls who weren’t using any cannabis, they found “participants who used cannabis were 2.57 times more likely to no longer meet DSM-5 criteria for PTSD at the end of the study observation period compared to participants who did not use cannabis”

- The Fresh Toast

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is known to affect those who have faced traumatic situations in their lives, especially persons in the armed forces or police, or victims of crime, conflict and domestic violence. Being exposed to conditions such as war, conflict, crime, assault and proximity to violence and death, leaves an indelible mark on the minds of these individuals. The affected person has a tendency to keep reflecting on the incident, and its associated memories, and finds it difficult to move beyond it. This disturbs the person's normal life, and can sometimes result in a social breakdown and the development of serious mental conditions. The person has the tendency to be reduced to a nervous wreck, bringing the traumatic event back into clear mental focus at the slightest trigger.

There are a significant number of persons affected by PTSD since there is no dearth of war, crime, assault, violence and horrific incidents in today's world. To top it all, we had a man made crisis, called a fake pandemic Covid, where governments and their institutions, working together with pharma, medical and petrochemical industries, locked up almost the entire world's population in their homes by creating mass hysteria over a natural virus and amassing vast amounts of wealth and power through the process. The damage that this wrecked on the world, with many losing their near and dear ones, losing their jobs, being pushed to poverty, and suffering in isolation is immeasurable. According to studies, a lack of social support is considered a major risk factor for PTSD following traumatic events, while the presence of social support seems to influence symptom severity and recovery. As if that was not bad enough, Russia, with its additional wealth accrued from Covid-related synthetic pharmaceutical and petrochemical product sales, launched an attack on its neighbor, Ukraine, with world-wide repercussions.

The treatment of PTSD is ideally a treatment that helps the patient confront the traumatic situation, process it and subsequently uproot the memory of it - more or less permanently - from his or her mind i.e. forget the incident for good. Even if the incident gets replayed in the person's mind again, the aim of treatment is that it does not produce associated trauma in the person.

Cannabis has been growing in popularity as a treatment for PTSD, primarily because, as a medicine, it does many things. It is known to help people confront and process uncomfortable memories, and to finally forget or bury these memories. Cannabis basically helps you forget your trauma after you have dealt with it. Any person who has used cannabis will tell you how it brings to the surface often repressed memories in their minutest detail, and as you study them closely and analyze them, you come to terms with them. Cannabis's anxiety relieving or anxiolytic properties, pain relieving or analgesic properties , sleep inducing or sedative properties, mood-altering properties, and ability to connect you fully to the present, with an increased sense of awareness of the world around you, could be additional reasons why it is starting to be so effective in treatment of PTSD.

The much-maligned cannabis compound, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinal (THC) has been found to be especially beneficial for treating PTSD. According to a report by NORML - 'Wayne State University researchers assessed the effects of oral THC versus placebo on corticolimbic responses to threatening imagery in subjects with and without PTSD. Authors reported that THC dosing “lowered threat-related amygdala reactivity” in post-traumatic stress patients. Corticolimbic brain regions, including the amygdala, are involved in threat processing. In patients with PTSD, the amygdala typically responds in a hyperactive manner to trauma-related imagery." Another report by BMC Psychiatry says - "Current evidence from healthy humans and PTSD patients supports the THC value to suppress anxiety and aversive memory expression without producing significant adverse effects if used in low doses or when associated with CBD." THC is the one compound that most people are against when it comes to cannabis legalization. The maligning of THC is beyond absurd, considering that it is the most beneficial and medicinal compound present in the cannabis plant.

Many veteran US armed forces personnel have been quite vocal in their demand for the inclusion of cannabis in their PTSD treatment options. Many have gone ahead and started self treating themselves with cannabis, in spite of lack of medical insurance coverage, because they are unable to handle the cocktails of powerful pharmaceutical medications that they are otherwise forced to take and their side effects. They also do not want to fall prey to alcohol and other dangerous drugs like many of their colleagues whose lives have been wrecked as a result. A number of bills are in the American parliament that seek to force the Veterans Association to investigate the potential benefit of cannabis for treating PTSD. In some US states, PTSD has emerged as the leading medical condition for which cannabis is prescribed. In Michigan state, the government contributed significant money to fund research on cannabis to treat PTSD. According to an article in Marijuana Moment - 'The bulk of the money [Michigan fund], nearly $13 million, will examine “the efficacy of marijuana in treating the medical conditions of United States armed service veterans and preventing veteran suicide,” according to recipients at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).'

One of the most anger-provoking things in the US is that it is the Republican GOPs who stand firmly in the way of the use of cannabis to treat PTSD, as well as in the way of federal legalization of cannabis in the US, despite overwhelming support for both these causes across the nation. We must not forget that it is primarily the US Republicans who set the world on fire in the last 50 years with their wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, resulting in massive PTSD among US soldiers and the people of these countries. The primary aim of these global crimes was to benefit US petrochemical, arms and construction industries - the key industries that oppose cannabis legalization in the federal US -, and to consolidate US control over global opium supplies. The effects of this are still swilling through these societies. As an example of the Republican opposition to the use of cannabis for the treatment of its own soldiers who gave everything for the cause that made Republicans and their funders rich, we can see the following report by NORML, which states - "Republicans blocked a procedural vote that would have advanced legislation, S. 326: the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act, to the floor of the United States Senate. All but eight GOP members voted against the bill’s advancement, assuring that it would not meet the 60 vote threshold necessary to move forward under Senate rules. The measure had previously passed unanimously out of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee with bipartisan support. The legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct an 18-month observational study to assess the effects of cannabis in veterans suffering from chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."

In most parts of the world, cannabis is illegal so veterans or other persons affected by PTSD have no option but to continue relying on prescription cocktails. Often the damage done by these strong prescription drugs leave the patient with no option other than to take to alcohol or more dangerous chemical drugs that are more readily available than cannabis. In extreme cases, these medications push the victim to depression, mass shootings of innocent people, and finally suicide. What is worse is that there are probably many times more persons suffering from PTSD than has been detected, who continue to suffer everyday without access to any kind of treatment.

We need to make the world a better place where the risk of being in traumatic situations, in which we are likely to develop PTSD, is minimal. But the probability of that happening soon is quite unlikely unless we eliminate war and violent crime. On the contrary, the opposite is what is happening with increasing levels of violence, and escalating traumatic situations, brought about by our misadventures on earth, exposing more and more of us to conditions like PTSD.

The use of psychedelics in the treatment of PTSD is gaining increasing traction, and cannabis as the world's most widely used, freely available, safe and affordable natural psychedelic holds great promise. One thing that we can do almost instantaneously is to legalize the use of cannabis worldwide, including its home growing and recreational use. Many nations have started to move in the direction of legalization such as the US, Canada, Uruguay, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Mexico, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, South Africa, etc. Ironically a number of these nations have been responsible for global wars and the implementation, as well as continued prohibition of cannabis in the world. Further irony is evident in the fact that many of these nations are illegally sourcing their cannabis from the very nations that they threatened to impose sanctions on for cannabis legalization in the past.

If the nations of the world have the will to make the collective decision to implement cannabis legalization for recreational use through the UN, large numbers of persons will be able to get their lives back in shape. Who knows, with the widespread availability of cannabis, we may even be able to put an end one of these days to some of the major sources of PTSD, such as wars, crime, assault and violence. This is especially possible considering that petrochemicals and legal and illegal synthetic drugs, two of the main industries that stand to lose with cannabis legalization, are also two of the key reasons why wars are fought and governments, with the aid of the arms industry, create conflict to protect them. Another key industry that stands to lose from cannabis legalization, and which is also one of the prime culprits in global violence and crime, especially domestic violence, and hence the development of PTSD in society, is alcohol. With cannabis legalization, we can significantly reduce these three major sources of worldwide conflict, violence and trauma. The question is do we as a human society want to make that change and how much are we willing to make an effort for it?

The following list of articles taken from various media speak about the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article.

'Republicans blocked a procedural vote that would have advanced legislation, S. 326: the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act, to the floor of the United States Senate.

All but eight GOP members voted against the bill’s advancement, assuring that it would not meet the 60 vote threshold necessary to move forward under Senate rules. The measure had previously passed unanimously out of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee with bipartisan support.

The legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct an 18-month observational study to assess the effects of cannabis in veterans suffering from chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Observational trial data published in December reported that patients suffering from post-traumatic stress exhibit “statistically significant improvements” in a variety of domains – including sleep, anxiety, and stress – following their use of cannabis. By contrast, a 2021 clinical trial reported that the inhalation of marijuana flowers provided limited benefits compared to placebo in treating symptoms of PTSD.

Data published earlier this year in the journal JAMA Network Open reported that nearly one in three pain patients residing in states where medical cannabis access is legal have consumed it for pain management. Pain patients who utilize cannabis frequently report decreasing or ceasing their use of opioids. '

https://norml.org/news/2023/05/04/senate-republicans-block-effort-encouraging-the-veterans-administration-to-study-cannabis-as-a-treatment-option-for-post-traumatic-stress/

'More people (22%) use cannabis for stress and mental health than for any other reason, Eaze’s data shows, putting a dent in the common perception that consumers are interested in weed mostly as a form of recreation. In fact, only 17% cited “fun” as their primary motivation, with 12% saying better sleep was the top goal.

“With our lifestyles shaken to the core over the past 18 months, it’s no surprise our relationship with cannabis has changed too,” Sheena Shiravi, vp of marketing at Eaze, said in a statement. “Today’s cannabis consumer recognizes the plant can support everyday activities like work and working out, and are integrating it throughout their lives to enhance connectivity, productivity, and wellbeing.” '

'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), characterized by re-experiencing, avoidance, negative affect, and impaired memory processing, may develop after traumatic events. PTSD is complicated by impaired plasticity and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity, hyperactivity of the amygdala, and impaired fear extinction. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a promising candidate for treatment due to its multimodal action that enhances plasticity and calms hyperexcitability. CBD’s mechanism in the mPFC of PTSD patients has been explored extensively, but literature on the mechanism in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is lacking. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we examined current literature regarding CBD in PTSD and overlapping symptomologies to propose a mechanism by which CBD treats PTSD via corticoraphe circuit. Acute CBD inhibits excess 5-HT release from DRN to amygdala and releases anandamide (AEA) onto amygdala inputs. By first reducing amygdala and DRN hyperactivity, CBD begins to ameliorate activity disparity between mPFC and amygdala. Chronic CBD recruits the mPFC, creating harmonious corticoraphe signaling. DRN releases enough 5-HT to ameliorate mPFC hypoactivity, while the mPFC continuously excites DRN 5-HT neurons via glutamate. Meanwhile, AEA regulates corticoraphe activity to stabilize signaling. AEA prevents DRN GABAergic interneurons from inhibiting 5-HT release so the DRN can assist the mPFC in overcoming its hypoactivity. DRN-mediated restoration of mPFC activity underlies CBD’s mechanism on fear extinction and learning of stress coping.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667242121000324

'The bulk of the money, nearly $13 million, will examine “the efficacy of marijuana in treating the medical conditions of United States armed service veterans and preventing veteran suicide,” according to recipients at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). The grant will fund the next step of a study researchers say is the first clinical trial of inhaled botanical marijuana for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and only the second to compare the safety and efficacy of cannabis against a placebo.

Another $7 million in marijuana revenue-funded grant money was awarded to Wayne State University’s Bureau of Community Action and Economic Opportunity, which has partnered with researchers to study how cannabis might treat a variety of mental health disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, sleep disorders, depression and suicidality. Both new grants come from Michigan’s $20 million Veteran Marijuana Research Grant Program, which was established by the state’s legalization law approved by voters in 2018.'

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/michigan-spends-20m-in-marijuana-revenue-to-study-medical-cannabis-for-veterans-with-ptsd/

'Results:
Evidence from the included studies was mainly based on non-randomized studies with no comparators. Results from unpooled, high RoB studies showed that cannabis was associated with a reduction in overall PTSD symptoms and improved QOL. Dry mouth, headaches, and psychoactive effects such as agitation and euphoria were the commonly reported adverse effects. In most studies, cannabis was well tolerated, but small proportions of patients experienced a worsening of PTSD symptoms.

Conclusion:
Evidence in the current study primarily stems from low quality and high RoB observational studies. Further RCTs investigating cannabis effects on PTSD treatment should be conducted with larger sample sizes and explore a broader range of patient-important outcomes.'

http://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/Neuroscience.2021022

'A meta-analysis of the 26 included articles indicated that cannabinoids prevent the negative effects of chronic unpredictable stress, suggesting that the development of cannabinoid-based drugs has the potential to treat stress-related disorders such as depression.'

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8098/

'The ingestion of cannabinoids and cannabinoid products is likely safe and effective in the mitigation of symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS), according to a review of the relevant clinical literature published in the Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology.

A pair of Dutch researchers reviewed data published within the past ten years assessing the use of cannabinoids in patients with PTS. Studies involved the administration of THC, plant-derived extracts, CBD, and/or synthetic cannabinoids.

They reported, “Cannabinoids were shown to improve overall PTSD symptoms, including sleep quality and quantity, hyperarousal, and treatment-resistant nightmares.”

Authors concluded: “Cannabinoids have been shown to be an effective treatment option for patients with PTSD. Besides aiding to relieve the symptoms and enhance extinction training, they also are relatively well tolerated.”'

https://norml.org/news/2021/03/11/review-cannabinoids-effective-and-well-tolerated-in-patients-with-post-traumatic-stress

'For this review, four cohort studies, four randomized clinical trials, one case report, and one case series were obtained from PubMed within the last 10 years. Cannabis extracts, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), and synthetic cannabinoids were used in the studies to target the cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2. Cannabinoids were shown to improve overall PTSD symptoms, including sleep quality and quantity, hyperarousal, and treatment-resistant nightmares. When participants were undergoing extinction training, cannabinoids given within the same time interval enhanced consolidation and retention.'

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0279/html

'Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19)-related anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are likely to be a significant long-term issue emerging from the current pandemic. We hypothesize that cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical isolated from Cannabis sativa with reported anxiolytic properties, could be a therapeutic option for the treatment of COVID-19-related anxiety disorders. In the global over-the-counter CBD market, anxiety, stress, depression, and sleep disorders are consistently the top reasons people use CBD. In small randomized controlled clinical trials, CBD (300–800 mg) reduces anxiety in healthy volunteers, patients with social anxiety disorder, those at clinical high risk of psychosis, in patients with Parkinson's disease, and in individuals with heroin use disorder. Observational studies and case reports support these findings, extending to patients with anxiety and sleep disorders, Crohn's disease, depression, and in PTSD. Larger ongoing trials in this area continue to add to this evidence base with relevant patient cohorts, sample sizes, and clinical end-points.'

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2020.0102

'Analysts affiliated with CB2 Insights, a chain of medical cannabis evaluation clinics operating throughout the United States, assessed data from over 61,000 patients seeking medical cannabis evaluations in 12 states over a 17-month period (November 2018 to March 2020).

Patients seeking medical cannabis authorizations were most likely to report their primarily condition to be related to chronic pain (39 percent), followed by anxiety (14 percent) and post-traumatic stress (8 percent). Patients also frequently reported suffering from comorbid conditions for which they sought relief, including insomnia and depression.'

https://norml.org/news/2021/02/11/analysis-medical-cannabis-most-commonly-recommended-for-treating-chronic-pain-conditions

'Results
At low doses, THC can enhance the extinction rate and reduce anxiety responses. Both effects involve the activation of cannabinoid type-1 receptors in discrete components of the corticolimbic circuitry, which could couterbalance the low “endocannabinoid tonus” reported in PTSD patients. The advantage of associating CBD with THC to attenuate anxiety while minimizing the potential psychotic or anxiogenic effect produced by high doses of THC has been reported. The effects of THC either alone or combined with CBD on aversive memory reconsolidation, however, are still unknown.

Conclusions
Current evidence from healthy humans and PTSD patients supports the THC value to suppress anxiety and aversive memory expression without producing significant adverse effects if used in low doses or when associated with CBD. Future studies are guaranteed to address open questions related to their dose ratios, administration routes, pharmacokinetic interactions, sex-dependent differences, and prolonged efficacy'

https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-02813-8

'Results:
CBD increased CBF [cerebral blood flow] in the hippocampus (mean (95% confidence intervals) = 15.00 (5.78–24.21) mL/100 g/min, t14 = 3.489, Cohen’s d = 0.75, p = 0.004). There were no differences in memory task performance, but there was a significant correlation whereby greater CBD-induced increases in orbitofrontal CBF were associated with reduced reaction time on the 2-back working memory task (r= -0.73, p = 0.005).

Conclusions:
These findings suggest that CBD increases CBF to key regions involved in memory processing, particularly the hippocampus. These results identify potential mechanisms of CBD for a range of conditions associated with altered memory processing, including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and cannabis-use disorders.'

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269881120936419

'Wayne State University researchers assessed the effects of oral THC versus placebo on corticolimbic responses to threatening imagery in subjects with and without PTSD. Authors reported that THC dosing “lowered threat-related amygdala reactivity” in post-traumatic stress patients. Corticolimbic brain regions, including the amygdala, are involved in threat processing. In patients with PTSD, the amygdala typically responds in a hyperactive manner to trauma-related imagery.

Authors concluded: “These preliminary data suggest that THC modulates threat-related processing in trauma-exposed individuals with PTSD, which may prove advantageous as a pharmacological approach to treating stress- and trauma-related psychopathology.”'

https://norml.org/news/2020/08/13/clinical-trial-oral-thc-associated-with-reduced-amygdala-reactivity

Social isolation (SI) stress has been recognized as a major risk factor of morbidity in humans and animals, exerting damaging effects at the physical and mental health levels. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), on the other hand, occurs as a result of experiencing serious, life-threatening, traumatic events and involves involuntary re-experiencing trauma (intrusion), avoidance symptoms, and distortions of cognition and emotional arousal. The literature shows that PTSD is affected by genetic predisposition and triggers a large neurocircuitry involving the amygdala, insula, hippocampus, anterior cingulate- and prefrontal-cortex, and affects the function of the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Social isolation seems to influence the predisposition, onset and outcome of PTSD in humans, whereas it constitutes a valid model of the disorder in animals.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139956/

'The upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines during acute stress has, moreover, been observed among the lonelier participants of a study involving healthy adults and breast cancer survivors, implying immune system dysregulation. Loneliness may also predict subsequent depressive symptomatology that cannot be attributed to other parameters. Solitary confinement or disciplinary isolation is a penal tool used in the prison system of the U.S. and other countries against the most violent of the inmates. Segregated individuals display higher levels of mental distress compared to the rest of the general prisoner population and manifest a wide range of psychiatric symptoms ranging from anxiety, panic attacks, and depression, to psychotic symptoms, self-mutilation, or even suicide. Another part of isolated inmates become even more violent after this punitive measure. These detrimental effects of disciplinary segregation have led in the U.S. to calls for the reform of solitary confinement, especially for juvenile offenders, given the irreversible damage that can be caused on their still developing brains. A lack of social support is considered a major risk factor for PTSD following traumatic events, while the presence of social support seems to influence symptom severity and recovery. '
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139956/

To me this shift to marijuana over all other pharmaceutical drugs looks great but the report doesn't seem to agree. Some parts of this report seems to hint that one veteran killed his family and committed suicide because he was prescribed 10 grams of marijuana per day. It seems to create this picture even though it states that the person suffered from PTSD after serving in Afghanistan, had major depressive disorder, financial and marital difficulties, a childhood of verbal and physical abuse and was most likely on benzodiazepines, a known class of drugs with high suicide rates. In India, before prohibition, 200 grams a day was the common legal amount that could be sold to an individual at a retail outlet and 20-40 grams a day was considered moderate intake.

'The Department of Veterans Affairs spent $77,794,212.57 last year on marijuana.That is more than the department spent ($66.2 million) on the 12,000 other drugs approved to be prescribed for veterans.'
https://www.saltwire.com/news/provincial/special-report-profitable-trauma-medical-marijuana-and-canadas-veterans-451441/

'Today, researchers announced that the first randomized controlled trial of whole plant (botanical) marijuana as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been formally completed, with all 76 veterans having been enrolled and treated. The data from the study are now being analyzed and prepared for publication later this year in a peer-reviewed biomedical journal.'
https://maps.org/news/media/7628-press-release-researchers-announce-completion-of-first-clinical-trial-of-marijuana-for-ptsd-in-veterans

'In written testimony submitted to the DHS, six organizations cite news coverage highlighting the use of medical marijuana for the relief of PTSD and alleviating what some say is a suicide epidemic among veterans. The testimony argues that DHS’s proposal “would actually amount to a step backward in addressing this literal life-or-death issue for our state’s veterans.”'
https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20181227/aclu-opposes-proposed-ban-on-medical-marijuana-at-ri-veterans-home

'From the total sample of 11 patients, 91% (n = 10) experienced a decrease in PTSD symptom severity, as evidenced by a lower PCL-5 score at 8 weeks than at their initial baseline. The mean total PCL-5 score decreased 28%, from a mean baseline score of 51.82 down to 37.14, after eight consecutive weeks of treatment with CBD. CBD was generally well tolerated, and no patients discontinued treatment due to side effects.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2018.0437

'CBD attenuated context-induced and stress-induced drug seeking without tolerance, sedative effects, or interference with normal motivated behavior.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0050-8

'Human and animal studies suggest that CBD may offer therapeutic benefits for disorders related to inappropriate responses to traumatic memories. The effects of CBD on the different stages of aversive memory processing make this compound a candidate pharmacological adjunct to psychological therapies for PTSD. CBD also shows an action profile with fewer side effects than the pharmacological therapy currently used to treat this type of disorder. In addition, even at high doses, CBD does not show the anxiogenic profile of compounds that directly activate eCB transmission.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6066583/

'Today the Patton family stands with all Americans in proudly supporting U.S. military veterans. In adding medical cannabis to their farm’s continuing cultivation of traditional crops, they promote veteran and diversity employment and continued scientific study of the potential benefits of cannabis in treating PTSD and other ailments.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/patton-family-green-meadows-farm-commitment-giving-back/

'DAV calls for more research into medical cannabis as an alternative pain relief option for veterans with chronic pain, PTSD and TBIs'
https://www.dav.org/learn-more/news/2018/the-cannabis-cure/

'Eaze, the on-demand cannabis marketplace, today announced the launch of a new program to expand access to cannabis for U.S. veterans. Beginning this Veterans Day (Sunday, November 11), veterans will receive a 25% discount on products purchased through Eaze. The discount reflects Eaze's commitment to helping veterans safely access sustainable, affordable relief from PTSD, physical disabilities, chronic pain, and other combat-related conditions.
https://www.eaze.com/blog/posts/eaze-announces-new-program-provide-u-s-veterans-25-discount

'“Despite the refusal of the [VA] and Arizona’s public universities and hospitals to assist with recruitment for the study, the trial is on track to finish on time,” read a news release from the nonprofit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, which is sponsoring the research.

To enroll, veterans had to be diagnosed with chronic PTSD brought on by military service. Researchers wanted a range of ages, as well as men and women. The study needed 76 veterans to be viable.'
https://www.stripes.com/news/us/marijuana-ptsd-study-reaches-target-enrollment-of-76-veterans-1.556639

'“The research component of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program sets it apart from the rest of the nation,” Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Pennsylvania’s premiere medical schools will be able to help shape the future of treatment for patients not just here, but across the country. These are patients suffering from serious medical conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and opioid use disorder.”'
https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Health-Details.aspx?newsid=532