The Colorado Board of Health is looking to add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of conditions permitted to be treated with medical marijuana. If approved in a vote Wednesday, Colorado will become the 10th state to make PTSD an eligible condition for medicinal pot.
This may come with some challenges, as the board has rejected petitions for this eligibility on two previous occasions, citing lack of research. Dr. Larry Wolk, Colorado’s chief medical officer, is suggesting that PTSD be added on a four-year trial basis.
PTSD is a condition that occurs when an individual is exposed to a traumatic or multiple traumatic events. This can then be followed by the subject reliving the event through flashbacks, memories, or recurring dreams and experiencing loss of sleep, irritability, angry outbursts, difficulty concentrating, or other debilitating conditions.
While Colorado is one of the few U.S. states that allow adults to purchase marijuana for recreational use, those who require it for medicinal purposes must have a doctor’s recommendation and the condition listed on the eligibility list.
Currently, the eligibility list for Colorado consists of eight conditions: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, cachexia, persistent muscle spasms, seizures, severe nausea, and severe pain.
Source for Today’s Article:
“Medical pot for treatment of PTSD under review in Colorado,” CBC web site, July 15 2015; http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/medical-pot-for-treatment-of-ptsd-under-review-in-colorado-1.3152620.