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Does PTSD Qualify for Medical Marijuana in South Carolina?

Living with PTSD can be incredibly challenging, as patients regularly have to deal with unexpected anxiety attacks resulting from a past traumatic event or experience, often resulting in a negative impact on quality of life. For those who are living with this disorder, the medical community in South Carolina might endorse medical marijuana as one viable treatment to help reduce anxiety and stress. This treatment has the potential to provide the relief that you need to live a happy and fulfilling life while managing the negative impact of PTSD on the mind and body.​

 

What Is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder, often shortened to PTSD, is an anxiety disorder related to exposure to trauma. People who suffer from this disorder frequently experience symptoms such as inability to sleep, irritability or bouts of anger or arousal, inability to concentrate, blackouts, extreme phobias, hallucinations, and more, including tragic extremes like homicidal or suicidal ideation. Almost anyone who has lived through a scary or traumatic event can develop PTSD as a result of the trauma experienced. It is commonly observed in military veterans and those who have experienced assault, childhood abuse, or physical abuse.​

 

The current treatments for PTSD include therapy and medications to reduce anxiety, but both have complications. Therapy may not offer the relief that a PTSD sufferer needs from physical symptoms, while traditional medications can only target the physical symptoms of PTSD, and often come with unpleasant side effects such as weight gain, lowered libido, and more.

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How Could Medical Marijuana Help PTSD?

Studies all over the US and Canada have shown that medical marijuana can be a great solution for both the mental and physical symptoms of PTSD. The FDA has recently approved the use of medical marijuana for veterans with PTSD based on these findings. Because cannabinoid receptors are located in both the brain and throughout the body, the science shows that this treatment can help the following symptoms associated with PTSD:

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• Relieve anxiety and depression

• Minimize hallucinations

• Improve quality of sleep

• Alleviate chronic pain

• Reduce stress

• Improve mood and focus

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The relief that medical marijuana can offer to PTSD patients can also reduce the risk of substance abuse and self-medication, two big risks related to this disorder. Veterans given cannabis by the VA in 2014 were shown to lower their use of alcohol and recreational drugs. And because they sought their marijuana from a medical source, their doctors were able to ensure that they were smoking the correct strain of marijuana in its purest form. Overall, this practice has led to healthier patients in every study conducted.