PTSD symptom reports of patients evaluated for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program.
George Greer, Charles S. Grob, Adam L. Halberstadt
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2014 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2013.873843 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Retrospective chart review Placebo-controlled Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Patients applying to the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program from 2009 to 2011 |
| Intervention | cannabis |
| Topics | Cannabis PTSD |
| Key findings | Greater than 75% reduction in CAPS symptom scores was reported when patients were using cannabis compared to when they were not. |
Abstract
New Mexico was the first state to list post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a condition for the use of medical cannabis. There are no published studies, other than case reports, of the effects of cannabis on PTSD symptoms. The purpose of the study was to report and statistically analyze psychometric data on PTSD symptoms collected during 80 psychiatric evaluations of patients applying to the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program from 2009 to 2011. The Clinician Administered Posttraumatic Scale for DSM-IV (CAPS) was administered retrospectively and symptom scores were then collected and compared in a retrospective chart review of the first 80 patients evaluated. Greater than 75% reduction in CAPS symptom scores were reported when patients were using cannabis compared to when they were not. Cannabis is associated with reductions in PTSD symptoms in some patients, and prospective, placebo-controlled study is needed to determine efficacy of cannabis and its constituents in treating PTSD.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Women with chronic PTSD secondary to sexual assault | 2008 | Observational cohort | n = 6 |
| An Ambulatory Polysomnography Study of the Post-traumatic Nightmares of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment-seeking veterans, current serving military members, and emergency service... | 2017 | Observational study using ambulatory polysomnography | n = 35 |
| Increased Mastery Elements Associated With Imagery Rehearsal Treatment for Nightmares in Sexual Assault Survivors With PTSD. Female sexual assault survivors with chronic nightmares | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 44 |
| Posttraumatic stress symptoms following near-death experiences. Persons who report near-death experiences and those who came close to death without NDEs | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Impact of oral ketamine augmentation on hospital admissions in treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: a retrospective study. Outpatients with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD | 2018 | Retrospective review | n = 37 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review BMC Psychiatry January 16, 2020
- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2016
- Diverse therapeutic developments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicate common mechanisms of memory modulation. Pharmacology & Therapeutics November 1, 2022
- Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: analysis from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics 2022
- The Construct of Medical and Non-Medical Marijuana—Critical Review International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health February 27, 2022
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