logo

Feds Give Research on Medical Marijuana and PTSD Green Light

image
Author: 420 Times
Created: 20 March, 2014
Updated: 14 October, 2022
2 min read

A study that would explore the possible benefits of marijuana for those who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder got a huge green light from the federal government.

The research project, headed by Dr. Suzanne Sisley of the University of Arizona, already had approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

But, like a lot of studies involving pot, it hit a bottleneck in trying to obtain cannabis from the only legitimate place it could — the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) sole marijuana farm in Mississippi.

Critics say NIDA has long been wary of attempts to prove that marijuana has medicinal benefits. But, in a move hailed as tacit approval for the study by the Obama administration itself, the PTSD research received approval to receive federal weed.

According to a statement from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS):

On March 14, 2014, in an historic shift in federal policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services granted permission for MAPS to purchase research-grade marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for our planned study of marijuana for symptoms of PTSD in U.S. veterans.

The group says this is the first time in 22 years of trying that feds have granted access to this sole source of legit, United States-produced cannabis.

However, MAPS says the study still requires approval from the DEA. The research will also need cash from supporters, the group says. The organization previously described the research as a:

...placebo-controlled, triple-blind, randomized crossover pilot study is the first of its kind, and will investigate the safety and efficacy of marijuana for PTSD in veterans using four marijuana strains each with a different level of D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) along with a fifth strain containing equal amounts of THC (6%) and cannabidiol (CBD) (6%). PTSD symptoms will be compared across conditions during four weeks of self-administration to determine if strain potency or drug delivery method affects PTSD severity.

Good luck.

Editor's note: This article originally published on the 420 Times on March 18, 2014.

IVP Existence Banner

Photo Credit: Kenny Holston /Flickr

Latest articles

votes
Wyoming Purges Nearly 30% of Its Voters from Registration Rolls
It is not uncommon for a state to clean out its voter rolls every couple of years -- especially to r...
27 March, 2024
-
1 min read
ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative....
21 March, 2024
-
3 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored....
19 March, 2024
-
9 min read
Nick Troiano
Virtual Discussion: The Primary Solution with Unite America's Nick Troiano
In the latest virtual discussion from Open Primaries, the group's president, John Opdycke, sat down ...
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Sinema
Sinema's Exit Could Be Bad News for Democrats -- Here's Why
To many, the 2024 presidential primary has been like the movie Titanic - overly long and ending in a disaster we all saw coming from the start. After months of campaigning and five televised primary debates, Americans are now faced with a rematch between two candidates polling shows a majority of them didn’t want....
19 March, 2024
-
7 min read