Medical Marijuana

As the federal prohibition on cannabis for medical use continues to deny crucial access to our veterans, there is one area in which they are disproportionately suffering: the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs currently rejects “marijuana” as a “safe and effective” treatment for PTSD, but a new Israel-based clinical study by Tikun Olam, one of the first and largest of its kind, finally has the hard data to show exactly the opposite.

Tikun Olam--Israel’s largest supplier of medical cannabis whose renowned and pioneering strains are newly available in the United States--has just analyzed the results of its scientific study of hundreds of PTSD patients in Israel. The results show cause for the VA to reevaluate its rationale for continuing to deny vets this crucial medicine.

Read More:https://www.themaven.net/theweedblog/medical/israeli-backed-study-shows-major-benefits-in-cannabis-treatment-for-ptsd-Fssp7h9QFUSZ5EwlO8hezQ

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved several phase-3 trials of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), otherwise known as ecstasy, for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Researchers believe the drug could be the best new treatment for the disorder.

The American Psychiatric Association published an article last week that said researchers have already done 16 years of trials on the drug and have come to believe that it could be a breakthrough therapy for people suffering from severe PTSD.

The founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Rick Doblin said that “For the first time ever, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy will be evaluated in Phase 3 trials for possible prescription use, with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD leading the way. Now that we have agreement with FDA, we are ready to start negotiations with the European Medicines Agency.”

Read More:https://www.themaven.net/theweedblog/medical/fda-has-approved-mdma-trials-for-ptsd-treatment-fXy23F4hQEOAUDK3uDS5og

A new study by the Massachusetts General Hospital has found that medical marijuana is an effective treatment for children who suffer from seizures or going through cancer related chemotherapy. The study was published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal.

The researchers conducted 11 studies of medical marijuana on epilepsy and 6 on chemotherapy. The findings showed that cannabidiol (CBD) from the cannabis plant decreased seizures in young patients. Dr. Shane Shucheng Wong and Dr. Timothy Wilens, both psychiatrists at Massachusetts General Hospital, concluded that medical marijuana has two therapeutic uses for pediatrics; seizure reduction and nausea relief from chemotherapy, according to the Science Daily. The doctors also found that medical marijuana worked better on chemotherapy patients than anti-nausea drugs.

Read More:https://www.themaven.net/theweedblog/advocacy/study-finds-marijuana-decreases-pediatric-seizures-and-treats-chemo-induced-nausea-w5ickGT7dUWQbbURAtNUGw