cannabis compounds have been shown to treat
PTSD in several unique ways.
The two compounds in question are
cannabidiol (CBD), which is a cannabinoid
that does not cause the psychoactive “high”
that is usually associated with the herb, and
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the
primary psychoactive in cannabis.
• Post-traumatic stress is primarily
about learned fear.
When you have more learned fear,
that’s going to induce a state of
hypervigilance and that can also
cause nightmares and terrors at
night.
• We have evidence that CBD, for
example, can reduce, by three
different mechanisms of action, can
reduce learned fear. So, anytime
you’re helping to reduce learned
fear, you’re helping to get to the root
of that particular problem, so that’s
why it can be so effective.
Cannabis not only helps reduce the runaway
fear response in those with PTSD but has
many other tangible benefits as well.
Similar to other psychiatric medications,
taking calming CBD prior to therapy sessions
can help put patients at ease and enable them
to better respond to treatment.
• If you’re in such a disease state and
all of those thoughts are not clear,
than all of those sessions are
basically going to be completely
useless and ineffective, because if
you’re not in a proper state, you’re
not going to be able to accept the
information, you’re not going to be
able to do a true analysis on yourself,
and you’re not going to be able to
apply the new information that
you’re learning.
While there are several reasons why CBD is
effective in treating PTSD, evidence shows
that psychoactive THC has some unique
benefits as well.
• In patients who have post-traumatic
stress disorder, what we find in
studies is that a lot of these patients
are deficient in something called
anandamide. Anandamide has been
termed “the bliss molecule”, and it’s
one of the endocannabinoids that is
released when we exercise.
• So, the “runner’s high” comes from
a burst of anandamide. So, patients
who have PTSD are found to have 50
percent lower rates of anandamide.
Endocannabinoids are like the body’s own
cannabis. Interestingly, both THC and
anandamide are similar in structure and
engage the same cell receptors in the human
body.
• When you give someone THC, THC
can replace those levels of
anandamide. That’s why some
patients experience these blissful
states when they use THC for the
first time, because they are replacing
their levels of anandamide.
• We’re correcting a deficiency. Often
times when you correct a deficiency,
whether it’s a hormone or a vitamin,
doesn’t matter what it is, you’re
going to get results.