The federal administration recently made a key decision that will help promote long-delayed research into the benefits of marijuana in treating veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Food and Drug Administration had long ago cleared a proposal by researchers at the University Of Arizona to study the benefits of marijuana as a treatment for PTSD. However, the researchers have not been able to buy marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, because of the lack of federal sanction. Recently, the Department Of Health And Human Services cleared the purchase of marijuana for medicinal purposes by the researchers for the study. According to the researchers, this is the first time they have obtained permission to purchase marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and this is also the first time the federal administration has approved medical research involving the use of marijuana.
A number of states are moving to ease restrictions on the sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes, because of studies that show that the drug can help treat chronic pain. However, this is the first time that marijuana will be used as part of research to study whether marijuana can have any effect on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, especially in veterans.
According to statistics from the Veterans Administration, up to 20% of soldiers who served in the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. This disorder can cause a number of symptoms, including depression, flashbacks, memory problems, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. The disorder has a number of effects on the veteran’s personal, professional and social lives. Overall, 27.7 million Americans are believed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition which can be triggered by exposure to any sort of life-threatening situation.
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