Researchers in Australia are set to study the efficacy of CBD as a treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. The year-long trials will be conducted in coordination with Cannabis Access Clinics and health and wellness firm BOD Australia.
The researchers hope to enroll 300 veterans for the trial. Lead researcher Dr. Sharron Davis said that traditional treatments do not always work for PTSD and the researchers must be able to show the Therapeutic Goods Administration that the study participants “have tried everything conventional medicine has to offer.”
“I would like to see CBD-only oil reclassified — it has no psychoactive effects whatsoever.” – Davis, to ABC
BOD Australia spokesperson Jo Patterson indicated participants could start with a dose for 5 milliliters and “might be on the product for up to five weeks,” noting it’s “an observational trial” and participants will “assess the benefits” of the CBD oil.
According to the report, the Australian Defence Force reports about 8.3 percent of its members have experienced PTSD in the past year and the rate of PTSD among males in the armed forces is almost double the general Australian population.
In the U.S., 26 of 33 states with medical cannabis programs include PTSD as a qualifying condition. The American Legion, a veterans organization, supports allowing veterans to access medical cannabis programs; however, Veterans Affairs does not allow veterans in its care to use medical cannabis. Two years ago, Congressional leaders blocked reforms that would have allowed veterans to enroll in medical cannabis programs.
In 2017, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment awarded a $2.2 million grant to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies to study the efficacy of cannabis for PTSD. That study is being conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado, University of Pennsylvania, and the Scottsdale Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
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