Are you a veteran suffering the effects post-traumatic stress disorder? Check this out: You might be eligible to participate in the first-ever clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of using weed to manage PTSD symptoms in U.S. veterans. Yes, that means free pot.
Thanks to a $2 million grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and a nonprofit called the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, medical marijuana may finally amass the evidence to have its day in court (and by that, we mean a legalization bill before Congress … hopefully).
The study, led by Dr. Sue Sisley in Phoenix, Arizona, and Ryan Vandrey at Johns Hopkins University, will look at the safety and effectiveness of four levels of marijuana potency in 76 veterans. They are hoping that the trial will provide much-needed data on marijuana dosing, composition, and side effects, and the potential benefits of using pot to treat PTSD, according to Army Times.
The first veteran to participate in the study received the marijuana on Feb. 6 at the Scottsdale Research Institute in Phoenix, according to officials with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.
Those volunteers selected will complete 17 outpatient visits over the course of the study to one of the clinics in a 12-week period, with follow-up visits after six months.
Screening for participants began in January, but the study is still taking applicants. So, here’s your chance to get high on someone else’s dime.
Veterans interested in volunteering for the clinical trial can email arizona@marijuanasites.org for the Phoenix location or call (410) 550-0050 to reach out to Johns Hopkins.