Could Pot Help Veterans With PTSD?

BY NEWSWEEK

Marijuana and the Veterans Affairs Hospital system’s relationship is complicated. On the one hand, 23 states plus the District of Columbia say marijuana is legal for sanctioned medical use, and veterans are clamoring for it for their post-combat symptoms.

On the other, marijuana is classified a Schedule I drug—the same as heroin. Under the aegis of the government, the VA system, and by extension the veterans who use it, has been stuck in the middle.

Experts say as many as 20 percent of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. According to VA estimates in 2012, about 22 former members of the Armed Forces, on average, commit suicide every day. Antidepressants like Zoloft and Paxil, along with other heavy-duty pills, have been the traditional mainstays in VA doctors’ arsenals.

Non-FDA approved options, marijuana among them, haven’t been options at all. But that has started to change. New Mexico has recently begun allowing VA Hospitals to prescribe medical marijuana for American soldiers’ PTSD. Maine became one of the first few states to follow suit.

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