Cannabis and PTSD: Why Veterans are Turning to Weed for Relief

As you step into the street, a sudden movement catches your attention. Instinctively, you leap back on the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding the speeding car as it hurtles past you. 

Within seconds, a surge of activity floods your brain and body. Neurons within your amygdala – the brain’s processing center for emotions and memories– fire causing a cascade of physiological and cognitive responses. Your heart races, your breath quickens and becomes more shallow, and you may feel “shaken” by the ordeal.  

If your brain is healthy and functioning properly, this response is temporary and short-lived, lasting only for a few minutes. 

However, if you are one of the 7.7 million people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), your brain remains in a hypervigilant state of fight or flight. One triggering event can lead to several hours of irregulated brain function, and this prolonged stress can have devastating impacts on one’s health. 

As we reflect on this Memorial Day, we aim to draw attention and initiate a meaningful conversation about the intersection of cannabis and PTSD, particularly within the veteran community. 

Though our country has fortunately left many post-9/11 conflicts behind, a concerning reality persists: many soldiers struggle in the aftermath of these deployments. Often, they return home with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, anxiety, depression, and a number of other issues. Regrettably, these issues often endure for the rest of their lives. 

As a result, older veterans suffer from chronic pain far more than the national average. This suffering leads to an increase in opioid dependency, and veterans are twice as likely to die from an opioid overdose than the average American. 

For those that have given their lives to serve our nation, we must ask: are we doing enough in return?  

At Green Cannabis Co, we advocate for accessible medicine for all, and we aim to explore the potential benefits and risks that cannabis may offer in supporting veterans with PTSD.

What is PTSD? 

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can manifest in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event or a series of events. Those affected by PTSD have intense, distressing thoughts and emotions related to their experience, which do not return to baseline after the threat is over. 

At its core, PTSD encompasses three primary characteristics: intrusive thoughts or flashbacks, avoidance of situations connected to the traumatic event, and lastly, an alteration in cognition and mood. These alterations can take the form of feeling constantly “on edge,” insomnia, being easily startled, or sudden outbursts. 

What makes PTSD particularly challenging to cope with is its roots in reality, says trauma researcher and author Bessel van der Kolk. 

Unlike other psychological disorders that may arise from internal conflicts or dysphoria, trauma stems from actual, external occurrences that are often highly distressing or life-threatening. These experiences can shatter a person’s sense of safety, upturn their understanding of the world, and significantly alter their perception of themselves and others. 

Moreover, PTSD’s most devastating effects are the changes in one’s biology that can be seen on multiple levels, such as stress hormones, immunology, blood pressure, and what the brain selects to pay attention to.

How Cannabis May Help

Due to its complex nature, PTSD treatments are highly individualized. Anecdotally, many veterans have turned to cannabis as a way to cope and heal themselves. This growing trend has even inspired some veterans to start their own cannabis brands, or others to create their own advocacy groups. 

The increasing numbers of veterans embracing cannabis are not merely coincidental.  Emerging research has shown that cannabis can help alleviate many of the symptoms that come with PTSD. Here are a few ways it can help: 

Reduce anxiety

In those who suffer from PTSD, the amygdala remains hyperactive, ready to trigger fight or flight at a moment’s notice. One way cannabis can help is by suppressing the neural activity in the amygdala.

In a landmark study led by Vanderbilt University, researchers found that the amygdala creates its own endocannabinoids, which help regulate anxiety and stress by “dampening excitatory signals that involve the neurotransmitter glutamate.” 

However, in cases of severe trauma, there can be a decrease in the production of these endocannabinoids. Without them, it leaves the individual without the necessary regulatory mechanisms, and anxiety increases. 

This could explain why marijuana’s “exogenous” cannabinoid helps relieve many of their anxiety. The study’s authors also noted, however, that chronic use of cannabis may down-regulate the receptors, paradoxically increasing anxiety. (We talk more about Why Weed Makes Some People Anxious here.) 

Reduce nightmares

Many who suffer from PTSD struggle with recurring nightmares. However, there is evidence to suggest cannabinoids, such as nabilone (designed to mimic THC), may offer relief. 

In a study conducted by Canadian Armed Forces Mental Health Services, researchers provided nabilone to veterans who were still experiencing nightmares despite conventional drug treatments. Remarkably, 72% reported a decrease or complete cessation of nightmares. Unfortunately, they did not control their study with a placebo, so the improvement could potentially be attributed to the psychological impact of starting a new treatment.

Another way cannabis may help reduce nightmares is by extinguishing traumatic memories. A team of scientists in Brazil found in 2020 that weed may help PTSD patients by overwriting traumatic memories with new ones in a process called ‘extinction learning.’ It’s believed it does this by acting on cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors, which those who suffer from PTSD tend to have greater availability compared to healthy individuals.

Relieve pain

Cannabis for pain relief is nothing new. Humans have used it for pain for thousands of years – even Queen Victoria was alleged to use cannabis to treat period cramps. 

Dozens of studies have confirmed CBD’s powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic properties. Research has even gone far enough to show that cannabis is an effective treatment for various types of pain like nociceptive (affecting body tissue), neuropathic (affecting nerves), and mixed pain. 

Arthritis-specific studies have also been promising. For example, a small 2019 trial suggested that a combination of CBD and THC “may prove beneficial for people with fibromyalgia, a type of arthritis that results in whole-body pain and fatigue.

Increase imagination

One area seldom discussed when it comes to the intersection of cannabis and PTSD is the plant’s effect on the imagination. For veterans grappling with PTSD, trauma can dampen their creativity and make it difficult to envision alternative perspectives and outcomes. 

Marijuana has the ability to stimulate neural pathways and neurotransmitters, which may unlock a new capacity for creativity. This increased bandwidth could aid veterans in navigating their traumatic memories and exploring new perspectives on the experience. Overall, it could promote emotional healing and offer novel ways of processing and expressing complex emotions.  We answer more on the question, “Does Cannabis Boost Creativity?” here. 

Increase mindfulness

Cannabis, for many, is a catalyst for awareness and growth. It has the unique ability to make us more aware of physical sensations, which can be incredibly powerful for people with PTSD. As Bessel van der Kolk writes, “Mindfulness not only makes it possible to survey our internal landscape with compassion and curiosity but can also actively steer us in the right direction for self-care.”

Perhaps weed’s efficacy goes beyond the effects of its molecular components. Throughout history, cannabis has been intertwined with practices like yoga, and stoner culture has recognized its connection to self-discovery, health consciousness, and higher degrees of openness. 

These factors play an important role in healing one’s trauma. At its core, recovering from trauma is learning how to regulate oneself, and cannabis can certainly be a guiding principle in that journey. 

Veteran Cannabis Reform 

All things considered, the American Psychological Association still does not support the use of medical cannabis for the treatment of PTSD. In a statement from 2019, the organization stated there is not sufficient evidence in the medical literature to support the practice and more research is needed.

Furthermore, the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) prohibits its doctors from recommending medical marijuana as a treatment option or engaging in discussions about its benefits. This restriction becomes particularly problematic in areas where cannabis remains illegal, as it effectively denies veterans access to a potentially effective and natural treatment option.

Many advocacy groups are working on veteran cannabis reform, and we are happy to share these resources:

Resources to learn more 

• Veterans Cannabis Project
• Weed for Warriors Project
• Operation EVAC (Educating Veterans About Cannabis) 

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