Mitigation of post‐traumatic stress symptoms by Cannabis resin: A review of the clinical and neurobiological evidence

Summary

A 19-year-old male with severe PTSD symptoms, including flashbacks, panic attacks, and self-mutilation, experienced dramatic symptom reduction after smoking cannabis resin. This review examines clinical and preclinical neurobiological evidence for cannabis's effects on PTSD. Cannabis may reduce the strength and emotional impact of traumatic memories through synergistic mechanisms, potentially aiding sleep, reducing anxiety, and lessening flashback involvement. Endocannabinoid signaling systems in stress-sensitive brain regions like the hypothalamus and amygdala suggest their role in regulating stress responses. Evidence increasingly indicates cannabinoids may play a role in fear extinction and have antidepressive effects. Further studies are needed to evaluate cannabinoids' therapeutic potential in PTSD.

Study at a glance

Abstract

It is known from clinical studies that some patients attempt to cope with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by using recreational drugs. This review presents a case report of a 19-year-old male patient with a spectrum of severe PTSD symptoms, such as intense flashbacks, panic attacks, and self-mutilation, who discovered that some of his major symptoms were dramatically reduced by smoking cannabis resin. The major part of this review is concerned with the clinical and preclinical neurobiological evidence in order to offer a potential explanation of these effects on symptom reduction in PTSD. This review shows that recent studies provided supporting evidence that PTSD patients may be able to cope with their symptoms by using cannabis products. Cannabis may dampen the strength or emotional impact of traumatic memories through synergistic mechanisms that might make it easier for people with PTSD to rest or sleep and to feel less anxious and less involved with flashback memories. The presence of endocannabinoid signalling systems within stress-sensitive nuclei of the hypothalamus, as well as upstream limbic structures (amygdala), point to the significance of this system for the regulation of neuroendocrine and behavioural responses to stress. Evidence is increasingly accumulating that cannabinoids might play a role in fear extinction and antidepressive effects. It is concluded that further studies are warranted in order to evaluate the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in PTSD.