New Study Supports Medical Cannabis as a PTSD Treatment

The growing acceptance of medical cannabis around the world has led to some exciting new research in recent years. One of the most recent studies certainly qualifies as exciting news. It supports medical cannabis as the cost effective and medically beneficial adjunct therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is one of the more common conditions medical cannabis patients cite when applying for medical cannabis cards. Such is the case in Utah, where the Beehive Farmacy in Salt Lake City says PTSD patients makeup the second largest group behind only chronic pain sufferers.

It is believed that medical cannabis helps PTSD patients by improving sleep, minimizing flashbacks, and otherwise helping them manage anxiety and stress. As for the study, let’s talk about what researchers did and what they learned from it.

Comparisons Against Traditional Treatment

The first thing researchers wanted to know is whether medical cannabis represents a lower-cost alternative to traditional PTSD treatment. They produced a cost-analysis model based on two angles:

• Traditional treatment for moderate PTSD
• Traditional treatment plus medical cannabis for moderate PTSD

Under this analysis model, medical cannabis was considered an adjunct therapy. Researchers looked at the cost effectiveness of both options under a variety of insurance payer models. Insurance payments were assumed at four levels: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.

Researchers also relied on a generally accepted model of the insurance industry’s willingness to pay for treatments. When everything was combined and the numbers were crunched, researchers determined that traditional treatment plus medical cannabis was more cost effective than traditional treatment alone, regardless of how payment was achieved.

At all four payment models, medical cannabis was found to be cost effective. However, cost effectiveness did vary depending on delivery method. Edible products and other oral solutions fared better than dried flour.

When Insurers Paid Nothing

Surprisingly, the numbers revealed that medical cannabis was cost effective even when insurers paid nothing. Consumers paying 100% out of pocket had no impact on the cost effectiveness of the traditional intervention plus medical cannabis treatment.

Questionable Outcome Improvements

Researchers also wanted to know if combining traditional treatments with medical cannabis improved outcomes. They determined it did. However, there is a caveat. The study’s limitations forced researchers to assume “uniform efficacy across different cannabis formulations.” In a real-world setting, efficacy is rarely uniform.

It could be that the combined therapy is less efficacious under some circumstances. That being the case, patients and insurance companies could actually end up spending more on treatments. This is something that bears further research to sort out.

Something That Needs to Be Looked At

Uniform efficacy aside, the results of the study point to something that really needs to be looked at in greater detail. Based purely on cost effectiveness alone, I would be surprised if insurance companies did not seriously consider covering medical cannabis as an adjunct treatment – just to save money.

If it costs less to treat PTSD patients with a combination of traditional interventions and cannabis therapy, insurance companies would be negligent to not at least consider it. They should still compare costs with outcomes before making a decision, but taking a look is worthwhile.

Let us assume further research verifies what this study suggests. Could the same model be applied to other therapies for other conditions? And if so, how cost effective is medical cannabis across the entire spectrum of conditions for which it’s recommended? Looking at the cost aspect from a scientific perspective could demonstrably change how the healthcare industry views medical cannabis. I am guessing any changes would be for the better.