Medicinal cannabis
What is medicinal cannabis for PTSD?
Countries are increasingly allowing cannabinoids (tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] and cannabidiol [CBD]) to be made available for medicinal purposes, including for the treatment of mental disorders. Medicinal cannabis refers to any part of the cannabis plant, such as flowers, buds, leaves, or full plant extracts. Pharmaceutical cannabinoids refer to pharmaceutical-grade medicinal extracts with defined and standardised THC, CBD, or a combination of both and synthetic cannabinoid derivatives.
What is the evidence regarding cannabinoids for PTSD?
Moderate to low quality evidence finds no consistent improvement in PTSD symptoms with cannabinoids. There may be more adverse events with cannabinoids than with a placebo. Few trials have been conducted to date.
August 2021
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Last updated at: 4:32 am, 15th October 2021
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