Texas Now Allows for PTSD to be Treated by Medical Marijuana

If you have been following the growth of the medical marijuana industry in the United States over the last few years or so, then you probably are familiar with some states being much slower to adopt medical marijuana policies than others. Texas is one of those states that has been extremely stubborn about legalizing marijuana. It is true that the state of Texas has a medical marijuana program, but this list of qualifying conditions (meaning conditions that allow one to be referred to medical marijuana treatment by a physician or medical professional) is insultingly low.

Many people have made the point that the list of qualifying conditions in Texas is basically limited to patients who are near death, or who suffer from such extreme conditions that they are unable to function in normal ways from day to day. Either way you look at it, the medical marijuana program in Texas needs some work. However, we have recently had a big victory for marijuana users in Texas - legislation has passed to allow diagnosed PTSD to be treatable by medical marijuana, and subsequently, those diagnosed with PTSD are allowed to obtain a medical marijuana card. History has not been kind to people struggling with PTSD.

The first real cases that were studied in mass were those coming from World War 1 and World War 2. It is fair to say that PTSD is not just related to soldiers who have fought in combat, but also to people who have gone through very traumatic experiences and are trying to cope with what they have seen or done. PTSD was not actually listed as a mental health disorder by the ANA until 1980, which is astonishingly late in my opinion. For a long time before then, people suffering with PTSD were often called crazy or labeled as cowards that did not want to fight.

Thankfully, more research has been done into this mental health disorder that has allowed the medical and political systems to take it more seriously. For people in the state of Texas, this is a huge win. Right now, as I talked about earlier, Texas lawmakers have not been kind to legalizing medical marijuana. Currently, all medical marijuana in the state is capped at a maximum of 1%, which is much below the average in the United States looking from state to state.

So the fact that Texas is allowing a little more freedom for people with PTSD to use medical marijuana is a true miracle for many veterans in the state. Going forward, there is not a lot of hope for the legislatures in Texas to make big moves on the medical marijuana industry, but we can at least take heart in the small steps and be happy for those who will be greatly affected by these new medical marijuana policy changes. 

At least we can be happy about veterans struggling with PTSD to finally have a natural, risk free, and therapeutic alternative to treat their mental health disorders. It was estimated that there are more than 2,500 military veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (also known as PTSD) living in the state of Texas. Many veterans with PTSD are considered to be at-risk for harming themselves, and a lot of research and studies show that veterans with PTSD common experiene suicidal ideation, panic attacks, substance abuse, and other issues that can destory relationships and lives.

Honestly, it is really isolating and tragic for people, especially veterans, who are struggling with PTSD and are falling through the cracks. Medical marijuana can help these people find some peace throughout their day, and hopefully help them sleep better at night.

Using Medical Marijuana to Treat Anxiety

Mental health is becoming a huge concern for the American people, especially in the wake of the pandemic). It is said that there are about 40 million adults in the United States that have an anxiety disorder. Not everyone in America fully understands mental health or true anxiety, and this can be part of the problem.

Most notably, the younger generations in this country seem to be suffering the most with mental health problems, which can lead to generational differences causing misunderstanding and minimizing very real struggles in mental health. For many of these people that have an anxiety disorder, it is not the same as just feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Many of these people suffer debilitating panic or anxiety attacks that completely take away their ability to function normally or to be productive in any capacity.

However, today we are going to be talking about medical marijuana and its role in treating anxiety symptoms in patients who may have an anxiety disorder. Many states have finally started to add mental health disorders to their list of qualifying conditions that can allow patients to be referred by their doctor to obtain a medical marijuana card. This means that patients can finally start looking for other alternative medications to treat and manage their anxiety symptoms. This is huge for some people who have struggled for years to find other prescription medications that can be as effective and natural as something like cannabis.

Truly, there is nothing like marijuana. It is safe to say that, due to legal limitations and poor funding, there has not been as thorough research into the effectiveness of medical marijuana on mental health issues as we wish there was. However, recent studies have shown that medical marijuana could be an effective treatment option for treating PTSD, depression, social anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety disorders (I have this one), and obsessive compulsive disorders.

How effective was the treatment of cannabis on these patients? Well, most of the patients actually reported high rates of reduction in their symptoms related to smoking marijuana. Though studies like this are rather small, the results paint a clear picture about the treatment of medical marijuana for people dealing with mental health conditions.

So how does cannabis actually help people with anxiety? Well, there is strong evidence about the effectiveness of cannabis in the form of cabbaninoidal research (also known as CBD). It has already been researched heavily by medical professionals that CBD acts as a vasodilator, which means it relaxes your veins and lowers blood pressure. Studies point to the fact that this, even all on it’s own, can be an effective way to lower symptoms of anxiety.

However, the idea of using cannabis for treating mental health problems does not stop there. When it comes to THC, another cannabinoid found in marijuana, many people report it being effective at calming and relaxing them. However, the problem with THC is that some people report it having the exact opposite effect on them. Some people actually experience elevated states of anxiety and paranoia. The most important thing to keep in mind is that cannabis is different for everyone. Some medical patients swear by it as one of the most effective ways at treating their anxiety and calming them down when they are at their limit.

Studies have shown that taking larger doses of CBD followed by a lower dose of THC helps maximize the effectiveness of lowering anxiety and other feelings of stress. One of the biggest things is to just find the right dose and strain that suits you and your needs.