Medical cannabis has long-been connected, through various studies and surveys, to the treatment of PTSD, especially when it comes to good quality, deep sleep, without the disturbing nightmares and flashback.
It was reported yesterday that New York State lawmakers have signed off on a bill to add PTSD as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana treatment.
The bill, which passed in the Senate 50-13, will now be passed to Governor Andrew Cuomo, who can sign off on it or veto it.
The sponsor of the bill, Senator Diane Savino, a member of the Independent Democratic Conference, said that New York is the one of the last states with a medical cannabis program including PTSD, “Right now, New York State is an outlier, and we shouldn’t be,” Savino said.
At the same time, Kate Bell, legislative counsel with the Marijuana Policy Project, credited veterans who came to New York in their droves to get the bill enacted.
Bell told reporters, “Having the veterans groups in New York supporting this bill helped us to be able to increase support to pass it this year.”
Veterans and those traumatized by extreme life events are susceptible to PTSD, and that especially applies to at least 2.5 million American soldiers who have served overseas since 2001.
Those who are lucky enough to return in one piece are often left traumatized by the ravages of war, while at least 20 percent return home with PTSD, to one degree or another.
Medical cannabis, especially the CBD-rich strains, have been shown in numerous studies to help with insomnia and to reduce or remove nightmares and flashbacks.
As Bell added, “Sleep, handling night terrors and being able to get rest, which is very important to patients’ quality of life.”
For now, a spokesperson for Governor Cuomo told reporters that the bill is under review, and the governor now has 30 days to act on it, one way or the other.
[Featured image credit: Pixabay]
