A marijuana plant flourishes under grow lights at a warehouse in Denver. (Ed Andrieski, Associated Press file)
The Colorado Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Society is concerned about the upcoming Colorado Board of Health hearing regarding adding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.
As child psychiatrists, we are concerned that marijuana may be toxic to brain development. Numerous studies show marijuana exposure during critical periods such as pregnancy, childhood, adolescence and early adulthood may alter brain development and predict future serious mental health problems. Also, there are no controlled trials showing marijuana to be safe and effective for PTSD. On the contrary, there is evidence that marijuana worsens the course of PTSD, which has been shown in recent studies. Therefore, while we support researching marijuana-based medications for various conditions, we do not support adding PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions at this time.
Amy Becker, M.D., Denver
Christian Thurstone, M.D., Denver
Amy Becker is president of the Colorado Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Society. Chrstian Thurstone is a former president of CCAPS and a current executive committee member.
This letter was published in the July 14 edition.
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