New Study Concludes That CBD Can Help Decrease The Severity Of PTSD Symptoms

By: Madeleine Balestrier

A new study finds that CBD for PTSD symptoms can be effective.

About 8 out of every 100 United States citizens will experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) sometime in their lifetime, according to PTSD United.

That’s 24.4 million people. Do you know how many people live in Texas? 24.4 million people!

PTSD is recognized as a Trauma and Stressor-related Disorder in the DSM-5, and develops through a severely distressing mental and/or physical event, like a terrorist attack, military combat, serious accidents or sexual violence.

Anyone, regardless of age, who survives a trauma is extremely susceptible to PTSD symptoms. And actually, women are twice as likely to develop PTSD symptoms.

According to the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, “PTSD often presents in clusters of symptoms, including the re-experiencing of traumatic events through intrusive memories and nightmares, avoidance of certain distressing factors, and alterations in mood, level of arousal, and cognition.

Psychotherapy is the established first-line treatment for PTSD, and various psychiatric medications are also typically employed.”

Like a number of other mental health disorders, PTSD is treated with anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, and additionally Prazosin to help with nightmares, but what about CBD?

If you read our latest article about everything CBD, then you’ll know researchers keep finding positive correlations between health and wellness treatments and cannabis because of CBD’s indirect impact on the human body’s endogenous cannabinoid system.

The endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) can be summed up like this: “When something is operating outside of the right range, your body activates the ECS to help correct it.”

And the CB1 and CB2 receptors found within the ECS are the foot soldiers that get this done. They play an important role in the process of body regulation or homeostasis, including memory (cough, cough a symptom of PTSD is intrusive memories and nightmares).

Okay, yeah, but how does CBD fit into all of this? CBD indirectly activates CB1 receptors to pretty much make as many of these receptors available and functioning to help the body regulate quickly and naturally.

And to connect the rest of the dots, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine explains, “The endogenous cannabinoid system has been shown to play an important role in the process of aversive memory extinction through the activity of central CB1 receptors.”

So yes, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine suggests CBD has the potential to treat PTSD symptoms through their study: “Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series.”

And here’s what scientists Lucas Elms, Scott Shannon, Shannon Hughes and Nicole Lewis found:

#ThrowbackThursday to high school science class and the scientific method!

Hypothesis

With CBD and regular psychiatric care, patients with PTSD can experience a decrease in PTSD symptoms. This hypothesis stemmed from previous studies on rodents, which means this is the first study to use human experiences to test the clinical benefit of CBD on PTSD patients!

Method

Eleven adult patients with current PTSD symptoms at an outpatient psychiatric clinic were prescribed PlusCBD Oil orally through capsules and/or a spray depending on preference.

After an initial baseline testing, patients were then assessed every 4 weeks when they completed a PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 questionnaires in conjunction with their CBD treatments, and any additional therapies or medicines they were involved in prior to the study.

Here’s more on the questionnaire: “The PCL-5 is a reliable and valid test published in 2013 to provide an assessment of PTSD symptoms that is consistent with changes to the criteria of PTSD in the DSM-5.20 Patients complete a 20-question self-report form that rates their symptoms on a scale of 0–4, with total scores ranging from 0 to 80.”

Sample Size

There were eight females to the three male patients participating in this study. On average, each patient was taking an additional three other medications in conjunction with the CBD.

Anticonvulsants and antidepressants were the most common drug used along with the CBD. Eight of the 11 patients were also regularly receiving psychotherapy for PTSD, and on average 1.8 comorbid psychiatric conditions, “including anxiety, mood, personality and sleep disorders.”

For more information and numbers, check out this table provided.

Results

Out of the 11 patients who remained in the study after eight weeks, 91% or 10 people experienced a decrease in PTSD symptom severity, specifically with regards to frequent nightmares. How did the scientists measure this?

They compared the different questionnaires to the original baseline test the patients took before taking the CBD treatments. The mean score of the PCL-5 self-report test decreased by a whole 28%!

The baseline average was 51.82, and after eight weeks the average across all 11 patients was 37.14.

Some notes to be wary of before we jump up and down and scream, “CBD cures PTSD!” because I know we all want to, but:

This was a “retrospective, open-label chart review,” which means no placebo or control group was included.
A precise dosing system for the CBD was not established, and medications and CBD use varied amongst the 11 patients.
The sample size of 11 patients was small, and disproportionately female.
The clinic where the study was conducted focuses on integrative medicine, which may have caused selection bias and an increased probability for the placebo effect, because of the patients’ own desires to avoid traditional treatment plans and medicines.

So what’s next?

“We were impressed with the improvements seen in the subjects. These findings can help inform future clinical investigations, including double blind, placebo-controlled trials, to confirm the response to CBD that was observed in this study,” MD, principal investigator in the study, Scott Shannon, said.

I’m no Marie Curie or anything, but “Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series” is definitely a promising first step for the future of PTSD and CBD!

Chief Executive Officer of PlusCBD Oil, Joseph Dowling, said it best:

“After more than 80 years of prohibition, hemp CBD research has been severely hindered, but with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, we are beginning to understand the clinical benefits of CBD through scientific rigor. While we recognize that dietary supplements can’t be marketed for treating disease, we are pleased to support scientific progress by providing our PlusCBD Oil™ products to researchers and look forward to continued research on the clinical benefits of CBD for patients with PTSD and other indications.”

Madeleine Balestrier is a writer who covers cannabis culture and new developments in the health and wellness space regarding CBD and marijuana.