For people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the worst possible anxiety disorders, marijuana might be able to alleviate symptoms. Although there’s a scarcity of human research into the association, anecdotal evidence is heavy, and states, such as Main and New Hampshire, have begun allowing its use. The Department of Health and Human Services also signed off recently, on a study to test its benefits in PTSD patients. The use of marijuana for anxiety disorders, and just plain stress, comes from the fact that the brain naturally produces cannabinoids, which are the active chemicals in marijuana — namely, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — and what help regulate how fear is processed in the brain. A May 2013 study found that people with PTSD showed lower levels of a certain endocannabinoid known as anandamide in the area of their brains associated with fear and anxiety. Thus, fewer cannabinoid receptors were being activated, spurring PTSD along. In theory, using marijuana would boost concentrations of these beneficial cannabinoids, reducing symptoms of PTSD. “We know very well that people with PTSD who use marijuana often experience more relief from their symptoms than they do from antidepressants and other psychiatric medications,” said lead author Dr. Alexander Neumeister, of the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology at New York University, in a press release. health.yahoo.net/articles/healthcare/3-major-ways-marijuana-helps-sick-people-live-normal-lives
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:38:16 +0000
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