Treating post-traumatic stress with marijuana
After conducting a review of articles on the role of the endocannabinoid system in the processes of anxiety, fear, and stress, a team of researchers has presented it as an acceptable treatment for post-traumatic stress, fragile X syndrome, and Martin-Bell syndrome.
This team of researchers, which includes Rafael Maldonado, head of the Neuropharmacology Unit at Pompeu Fabra University, is studying this interesting application of marijuana, since the endocannabinoid system acts in all regions of the brain involved in the processes of anxiety, fear and stress, also observing that an increase in the brain activity of this system reduces anxiety.
Studies show that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis, inhibits the sensation of fear (CB1R and CB2R receptors). Therefore, if the toxic effects of marijuana could be eliminated, THC could serve as an effective treatment.
By using exogenous cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system could help treat fear, anxiety, or stress, since the CB1R receptor is crucial for controlling high-stress situations that affect the brain.
They claim that to open a new therapeutic path, it is necessary to find a way to eliminate the harmful effects of cannabis.
The study has been published in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
Fountain: Very Interesting