"I've been a Holocaust child all my life. I'm now 80 and I'm still a Holocaust child, but I'm finally able to better cope." A Buchenwald survivor who uses cannabis for PTSD in a nursing home in Israel, in USA Today.

  • Ipo

      Centenarian Nazis still can’t toke up. 

  • eldritch

    What’s the medical world’s viewpoint on cannabis as treatment for PTSD? Things like treating glaucoma make some degree of sense, because there is a physical problem involved, but we’re talking psychological trauma here. Is this really all that much better than using alcohol or opiates or other substances to “cope” with terrible experiences? Less addictive, perhaps, but this is the first I’ve heard of this type of usage, so I dunno what to think.

    • http://theladyfingers.blogspot.com/ Ladyfingers

       As far as I know, it’s MDMA that works for PTSD.

      • Brent Kirkham

        I think you are correct. Though many sufferers of PTSD choose to use cannabis, rather than MDMA, mostly because cannabis is freely available, MDMA, not so much.  This wasn’t what I actually wanted to say, but I thought maybe I was being too judgemental of the US treatment of its own troops. Possible lack of care after conflict?

        • http://www.alwayssababa.com/ lishevita

          Actually, in Israel MDMA *is* used for PTSD in clinical settings. So the “not so much” availability isn’t the issue here.

          There is some research going on regarding cannabis for PTSD. I know that MAPS is one of the funders of that research. I seem to remember that there was a study already published about PTSD and cannabis which was suggestive, but too small to say anything serious.

    • snowmentality

      Anxiety disorders like PTSD can currently be treated with prescription drugs (among other treatment methods). Is someone who takes an antidepressant as part of their treatment for an anxiety disorder the same as someone who drinks heavily to self-medicate the anxiety?

  • niktemadur

    Stigma or no stigma in conservative circles of societies, one technical fact remains – marijuana is kosher.  Roll that in a papyrus and smoke it, Netanyahu.

    • Brent Kirkham

      Shalom, you’re right my friend.