A bill that would make PTSD a qualifier for medical marijuana in Colorado is flying through the State Senate, Cannabist reports. Senate Bill 17 passed through the Senate with a vote of 34-1 yesterday, with only Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, voting against it.
Earlier in the week, veterans, survivors of abuse and trauma, and various doctors testified in favor of the bill at a public hearing. While PTSD patients could technically purchase the drug for recreational use, the bill’s supporters contend that such a strategy is cost-prohibitive for medical treatment. The limited availability of the low-THC/CBD-heavy cannabis products believed to be effective for anxiety, nightmares and other sleep disorders are also a factor for the bill’s proponents.
Experts also believe frank discussions about PTSD between doctors and patients would only improve things. From Cannabist:
Members of the medical community frequently caution that more qualified research is needed to determine the effectiveness and any health risks associated with using medical cannabis to treat a complex psychological condition. Psychologists have argued that any treatment would likely need to be used in conjunction with other forms of therapy — be it talk therapy or practices such as yoga or meditation — so as to not simply mask an underlying condition.
In 2015, the Colorado Board of Health ruled against adding PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana, but that ruling is currently before the Colorado Court of appeals.
