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The study reads: “These results provide the first evidence that pharmacological enhancement of extinction learning is feasible in humans using cannabinoid system modulators, which may thus warrant further development and clinical testing.”
Because of work with laboratory animals, Holmes’ team has found that “tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical that gives marijuana its feel-good qualities, acts on a system in the brain that is critical for fear and anxiety modulation.”
In 2012, the Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access (VMCA) demanded in a petition to the White House for the rights of US veterans to use cannabis for “therapeutic purposes”.
Holmes stated that the testing in the rats were positive; however “tests in people are just beginning and will take years to complete. In the meantime, researchers are learning more about how marijuana and THC affect the fear system in people.”
The study concluded that “people who got THC during the therapy had long-lasting reductions in anxiety, very similar to what we were seeing in our animal models. So THC may be most useful when used for a short time in combination with other therapy.”
Earlier this year, a directive issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has enabled clinics and hospitals to prescribe medical marijuana to patients in 14 states.
Although those doctors are not admonished to prescribe marijuana to veterans who are denied pain medication, it sets a precedent.
In addition, it federalizes the use of medical marijuana while at the same time conflicting with federal laws prohibiting the use and sale of marijuana.
Robert Petzel, undersecretary for health at the VA stated that these new guidelines will be sent to all 900 care facilities across the nation; while making a concise warning that doctors retain the right of refusal to patients based on a professional opinion of treatment options.
Petzel said: “If a veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the veteran from receiving opioids for pain management. The discretion to prescribe, or not prescribe, opioids in conjunction with medical marijuana, should be determined on clinical grounds.”
In 2012, a study was published that stated THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, assists the human body in emotional processing and can be “an essential aspect of appropriate social interactions and interpersonal relationships.”
Researchers noted that in their controlled experiment, THC was observed as lowering brain activity in respect to negative stimuli. This unresponsiveness to negative stimuli could prove effective in treating depression; as well as having a beneficial role in emotions and mood.
According to the study: “These findings add to existing evidence that implicate the endocannabinoid system in modulation of emotional reactions, and support a previously suggested role for the endocannabinoid system in abnormal emotional processing associated with various psychiatric disorders.”
Researchers at the University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) say that marijuana is the most popular drug of choice across the globe.
Vikram Patel of the Center for Global Mental Health (CGH) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine remarked: “A decriminalized drug policy could potentially transform the public health approach to drug use. The enormous savings in the criminal justice system could be used to fund addiction treatment programs.”
According to the Pew Research Center (PRC), 3 out of 4 Americans assert “that efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they are worth. And 60% said that the federal government should not enforce federal laws prohibiting the use of marijuana in states where it is legal.”
- See more at: http://www.occupycorporatism.com/study-shows-marijuana-reduces-effects-ptsd-veterans/#sthash.y4gqVXzX.dpuf
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