Researchers Seek Approval to Study Effects of Marijuana on Veterans with PTSD

Researchers are asking the federal government for approval to study the effects of marijuana on veterans with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have not responded to other treatment. The study would involve 50 combat veterans with PTSD, The New York Times reports.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a letter to the researchers, from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in Santa Cruz, CA, and the University of Arizona College of Medicine, saying it was satisfied that they had addressed safety concerns about the study. The project still must be approved by a scientific review panel from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the article notes. The study must also be approved by an institutional review board and the Drug Enforcement Administration, researcher Rick Doblin said.

A spokeswoman for HHS told the newspaper that the study proposal is still being reviewed.

If the study goes forward, the researchers plan to use marijuana grown by the University of Mississippi, the only marijuana allowed in federally approved studies.