Marijuana reform supporters have long pointed out the need for more studies on the benefits of marijuana for those suffering from PTSD. There was some very significant news out of Washington D.C. today, as it appears that Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has been approved for a marijuana PTSD study. The approval is pending a separate approval by the DEA, which isn’t exactly a slam dunk, but I’m hopeful that enough troops and others suffering from PTSD will come out and share their stories and the DEA will be forced to do what’s right. See more below about the federal approval, and make sure to donate to MAPS to help them pay for this study:
On March 14, 2014, in an historic shift in federal policy, the U.S. Department of Health Services granted permission for MAPS to purchase research-grade marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for our planned study of marijuana for symptoms of PTSD in U.S. veterans. MAPS has been working for over 22 years to start marijuana drug development research, and this is the first time we’ve been granted permission to purchase marijuana from NIDA, the sole provider of marijuana for federally regulated research in the United States. It took over four and a half months for reviewers at the Public Health Service (PHS) to respond to our October 24, 2013, protocol resubmission. The study still requires final approval from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and we are optimistic they will approve the study in a timely manner. The study will also require funding support. “When it comes to researching the medical potential of Schedule I drugs,” said MAPS Founder Rick Doblin,”Privately funded medical marijuana drug development research has been the last domino to fall.” The tide has turned for medical marijuana research, and we look forward to starting the study. View the cover letter from HHS…
Source: MAPS.Org - make a donation
