Texas’ recent expansion of its Compassionate Use Program (CUP) means that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients here are now eligible to get a Texas Marijuana Card.
And while we already told you about this development, we’re not sure we emphasized just how big a deal it is. While the state keeps no estimates as to how many Texans suffer from PTSD, the US Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 7-8% of Americans will endure the condition at some point in their lives.
That’s more than 26 million Americans experiencing a condition that is often debilitating, and for those of them living in Texas, a new source of relief is now coming over the horizon.
Why is This Such a Big Deal? Aren’t There Already Plenty of PTSD Treatments?
Yes, but traditional PTSD treatments often don’t always provide the relief patients need, even if they are able to tolerate the unwanted side effects.
To understand how PTSD medications often fall short, we must first understand a little about PTSD and how it causes two kinds of symptoms: physical and emotional.
PTSD: A Crash Course
PTSD is a form of anxiety resulting from some past trauma. PTSD can cause a wide array of symptoms, including: difficulty focusing, poor sleep quality, intense phobias, blackouts, irritability, and hallucinations. In the worst cases, PTSD sufferers may experience homicidal or suicidal impulses.
While PTSD is at its root a psychological issue, and its underlying symptoms are psychological, physical problems can stem from those psychological ones, including difficulty sleeping (which can lead to a whole host of other physical problems), muscle and joint pain, and increased susceptibility to infections and chronic illness.
Traditional PTSD Treatments
Traditionally, PTSD is treated by using therapy to alleviate anxiety, and medication to treat the physical symptoms resulting from the anxiety.
There is more than one problem with this approach. First, therapy can’t do anything to alleviate a patient’s physical symptoms, and the medications used to treat PTSD often come with negative side effects, such as diminished sex drive and weight gains.
What Evidence is There That Medical Marijuana Can be a Better Option?
Studies from all around the world have found that cannabis can effectively treat PTSD. Furthermore, research indicates that medical marijuana can treat both the physical and psychological effects of PTSD.
How Does Medical Marijuana Treat both the Physical and Psychological Effects of PTSD?
Researchers believe that marijuana addresses both kinds of PTSD symptoms because there are cannabinoid receptors in the brain and throughout the entire nervous system, enabling medical marijuana to address both the physical and the psychological symptoms.
The belief among scientists is that this is why medical marijuana effectively treats a variety of PTSD-related symptoms.
Medical Marijuana May Reduce Reliance on More Dangerous Drugs and Self-Medicating
Research also indicates that medical marijuana users are less likely to turn to opioids for pain relief. It’s the use of those medications that fueled the opioid crisis, a crisis so severe that the CDC has classified it as an epidemic.
Studies have also shown that medical marijuana users are less likely to abuse alcohol to alleviate their pain.
Summing Up Medical Marijuana and PTSD
To summarize, medical marijuana is a more effective PTSD treatment than traditional options for many patients, because it:
Treats both the physical and psychological symptoms
Lacks the negative side effects of traditional PTSD treatments
Reduces dependence on alcohol and more problematic medications.
Medical Marijuana is Good News for Texas
When Texas State Representative Stephanie Klick, of Fort Worth, first began crafting the CUP expansion, she had only intended to allow veterans to access medical marijuana for treating PTSD.
But as she continued researching medical marijuana and encountered statistics about how many Americans suffer from PTSD and how effectively medical marijuana can treat it, she revised her stance. Klick said she couldn’t exclude all of the many Texans who haven’t served but who are nonetheless suffering.
Even if you yourself aren’t a PTSD sufferer, there is no way to see this expansion of CUP as anything but good news for Texas. As we said, the state keeps no estimates of how many Lone Star State residents are suffering from PTSD, but if our state’s rate is comparable to the nation’s, more than 2,300,000 Texans stand to benefit from the expansion at some point in their lives.
That’s more than 2,300,000 Texans who would have been stuck with the negative side effects of traditional PTSD medications, side effects that some patients say leave them feeling numb, hopeless, and suicidal.
That’s more than 2,300,000 Texans who would have been more likely to turn to opioids or alcohol abuse.
That’s more than 2,300,000 Texans who will now have a new hope in their battle with PTSD.
Find New Hope with a Texas Marijuana Card
If you’re suffering from PTSD, or believe you might be, and you’re interested in finding out if medical marijuana is right for you, please let us help.
Reserve an evaluation with one of our knowledgeable, caring marijuana doctors today. We’ll set you up with an appointment just as soon as we’re permitted to do so.
You’ll meet virtually with your doctor via a telemedicine evaluation from the comfort and safety of your own home. Together, you and your doctor will explore your options and decide if medical marijuana can give you the same relief it has given countless others.
Not only that, but you’ll save $25 on the cost of your evaluation, and we’ll refund that cost altogether if you and your doctor decide medical marijuana isn’t right for you. You have nothing to lose, and an all new hope to gain.
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
At Texas Marijuana Card, our goal is to help everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.