Cannabis PTSD Research

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of cannabis use disorder in a veteran cohort enriched for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Garrett, Melanie E · 2024

Four CpGs were associated with lifetime CUD after smoking adjustment: AHRR cg05575921, LINC00299 cg23079012, VWA7 cg22112841, and FAM70A cg08760398.

Cannabis use and trauma-focused treatment for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders: A meta-analysis of individual patient data.

Hill, Melanie L · 2024

A common clinical concern is that cannabis use might interfere with PTSD treatment — either by numbing emotions needed for therapeutic processing or by signaling lower motivation for change.

Associations of alcohol and cannabis use with change in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms over time in recently trauma-exposed individuals.

Hinojosa, Cecilia A · 2024

Using latent class mixture modeling, researchers identified three trajectory classes for both alcohol and cannabis use: low, high, and increasing use.

Cannabis use among U.S. military veterans with subthreshold or threshold posttraumatic stress disorder: Psychiatric comorbidities, functioning, and strategies for coping with posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Hill, Melanie L · 2022

Veterans with PTSD who used cannabis more than weekly were significantly more likely to screen positive for depression (OR 3.4-3.8), anxiety, and suicidal ideation compared to non-users.

Cannabis use and posttraumatic stress disorder: prospective evidence from a longitudinal study of veterans.

Metrik, Jane · 2022

Using cross-lagged panel modeling, baseline cannabis use significantly predicted worse intrusion symptoms at 6 months (beta=0.46).

Burden of cannabis use and disorder in the U.S. veteran population: Psychiatric comorbidity, suicidality, and service utilization.

Hill, Melanie L · 2021

Compared to veterans who never used cannabis, those with any lifetime use had elevated odds (ORs 1.5-8.3) of current and lifetime PTSD, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and mental health treatment use.

Cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and symptoms of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Black, Nicola · 2019

Pharmaceutical THC (with or without CBD) produced only a very small improvement in anxiety among patients with other medical conditions (SMD -0.25).

Tempering aversive/traumatic memories with cannabinoids: a review of evidence from animal and human studies.

Lisboa, Sabrina F · 2019

Direct or indirect CB1 receptor activation consistently facilitated extinction of aversive/traumatic memories across animal and human studies.

Medical Use of Cannabinoids.

Fraguas-Sánchez, Ana Isabel · 2018

This extensive review covered the therapeutic landscape of cannabinoids across dozens of medical conditions. Six cannabinoid medications had already received regulatory approval: nabilone and dronabinol capsules for chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, dronabinol capsules and oral solution for anorexia, THC:CBD oromucosal spray (Sativex) for MS-related spasticity and cancer pain, and CBD oral solution (Epidiolex) for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut epilepsy syndromes. Beyond approved uses, the review found evidence supporting potential applications in inflammatory and neuropathic pain, various cancer types (brain, breast, prostate), neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's), PTSD and anxiety disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, eye diseases, and substance abuse disorders (particularly alcohol and opioid). The endocannabinoid system's involvement in energy balance, appetite, blood pressure, pain modulation, nausea, memory, learning, and immune response explains the breadth of potential therapeutic applications..

Effects of cannabidiol in alcohol use disorder patients with and without co-occurring post-traumatic stress disorder: Tolerability but no evidence for efficacy in two randomized proof-of-concept trials.

Bogenschutz, Michael P · 2026

Neither trial demonstrated CBD superiority over placebo for drinking outcomes (both groups improved dramatically, Cohen's d>0.9), craving, mood, anxiety, or PTSD symptoms, despite achieving measurable blood levels and acceptable tolerability..

The Prevalence of Cannabis Use Disorder in Individuals with Anxiety or Related Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Coles, Ashlee R L · 2026

Across general population samples, 3.3-21.6% of individuals with anxiety disorders had lifetime cannabis use disorder (CUD), and 4.3-20.0% had current CUD.

More high, less low? PTSD and the complex daily associations between cannabis use and depression in veterans.

Davis, Jordan P · 2026

Among all veterans, bidirectional negative associations emerged: more depression predicted fewer hours high the next day, and more hours high predicted less depression the next day.

Substance use in Military Personnel: Associations with Combat Exposure, Moral Injury, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Pain.

Kelley, Michelle L · 2026

Higher PTSD symptom scores were uniquely associated with past-week cannabis use (vs.

Pre-Trauma THC Use Is Associated With a Positive Posttraumatic Adjustment Scale Screening.

Miller, Jeremy · 2026

THC-positive patients were more likely to screen positive on the Posttraumatic Adjustment Scale (19.6% vs.

Tailored psychotherapy and AI-enhanced contingency management for co-occurring disorders in cannabis use disorder: a systematic review.

Mishra, Sidharth · 2026

Integrated cognitive-behavioral therapies improved psychiatric symptoms and reduced cannabis use, particularly for co-occurring depression and PTSD.

Cannabis use among Canadian veterans: associations with the use of other substances, chronic pain conditions, mental disorders, suicide behaviours, and help-seeking.

Taillieu, Tamara L · 2026

Regular cannabis use was associated with increased odds of tobacco smoking, arthritis, any chronic pain, several mental disorders, and suicidal ideation (AOR 1.61-3.99).

Seeking relief or fueling the fire? Understanding the complex role of cannabis in PTSD, stress, and sleep dysregulation.

Davis, Jordan P · 2025

Day-to-day analysis showed elevated PTSD symptoms and poor sleep predicted greater stress the next day.

Daily associations between sleep quality, stress, and cannabis or alcohol use among veterans.

Davis, Jordan P · 2025

Within-day: higher cannabis use was associated with lower stress and better sleep quality that same night.

Multi-level socioeconomic modifiers of the comorbidity of post-traumatic stress and tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use: the importance of income.

Garrison-Desany, Henri M · 2025

Among nearly 3,000 trauma survivors, PTS symptoms were significantly associated with tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use.

Cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: A literature review and analysis of the content of websites of Polish clinics specializing in medical marijuana treatment.

Kurowska, Patrycja · 2025

The literature review concluded there is currently no sufficient solid evidence to recommend medical marijuana or cannabinoids to treat PTSD.

The Endocannabinoid System in PTSD: Molecular Targets for Modulating Fear and Anxiety.

Lyndon, Stanley · 2025

The endocannabinoid system plays a pivotal role in regulating fear learning and extinction.

Cannabis Use and Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy Are Associated with Poorer Postpartum Mental Health.

Marvin, Matthew J · 2025

Cannabis use during pregnancy was significantly associated with elevated postpartum PTSD (beta = 0.25) and depression symptoms, independent of IPV victimization.

Associations Between Cannabis Use and Mental Health in Patients Accessing Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.

Matheson, Justin · 2025

Cannabis use was significantly associated with trauma history and several psychiatric diagnoses including anxiety and depression, with the highest prevalence in current users.

Understanding the Role of Endocannabinoids in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Ney, Luke · 2025

Preclinical literature is reasonably consistent in showing that endocannabinoid system modulation can affect fear memory processes relevant to PTSD.

Cannabis involvement in posttraumatic stress disorder emergency department visits after cannabis legalization.

Perrault-Sequeira, Laurent · 2025

Among 381,450 PTSD ED visits in Ontario, cannabis co-involvement increased by 151% (from 0.13 to 0.33 per 100,000) between the first and last cannabis policy periods, while alcohol co-involvement increased by 58%.

Sex differences in endocannabinoid and inflammatory markers associated with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Rajasekera, Therese A · 2025

Among 88 PTSD patients and 85 matched controls, male PTSD patients had significantly decreased levels of AEA, arachidonic acid, and OEA compared to male controls and female subgroups.

Effects of Different Cannabinoid Formulations on Anxiety-Related Disorders, and Tourette Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Raminelli, Adrieli Oliveira · 2025

Across 21 placebo-controlled RCTs covering social anxiety, GAD, PTSD, OCD, and Tourette syndrome, pure CBD compounds showed a moderate significant effect (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.15 to -0.07).

Medicinal cannabis in the management of anxiety disorders: A systematic review.

Roberts, Leah · 2025

This review examined 57 studies on medicinal cannabis for diagnosed anxiety disorders.

Pre-trauma insomnia and posttraumatic alcohol and cannabis use in the AURORA observational cohort study of trauma survivors.

Short, Nicole A · 2025

Pre-trauma insomnia symptoms significantly predicted heavy cannabis use at 8 weeks post-trauma, even after controlling for pre-trauma substance use, demographics, and trauma severity.

Post-traumatic stress and future substance use outcomes: leveraging antecedent factors to stratify risk.

Garrison-Desany, Henri M · 2024

The link between PTSD and substance use is well-established, but most studies look backward — asking people who already have both conditions about their history.

Environmental Suppression Mediates the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Stress and Cannabis Use Among Trauma-Exposed College Students.

Gawrysiak, Michael · 2024

Environmental suppression (ES) on the Reward Probability Index fully mediated the relationship between PTS symptoms (PCL-5) and cannabis misuse (CUDIT-R).

Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Selected Mental Illnesses: Practical Approach and Overview of the Literature.

Müller-Vahl, Kirsten R · 2024

Increasing evidence supports cannabinoids for ASD, Tourette syndrome, anxiety disorders, and PTSD.

The Indirect Influence of Cannabis Use Disorder Symptoms on PTSD Symptom Severity Through Psychological Inflexibility.

Russell, Patricia D · 2024

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) and PTSD frequently co-occur, but what connects them? This study identifies a specific psychological mechanism: psychological inflexibility (PI) — the tendency to get stuck in rigid thought patterns and avoidant behaviors rather than adapting flexibly to situations. Among 336 college students, the researchers tested whether CUD symptoms → psychological inflexibility → worse PTSD formed a mediation pathway.

The impact of substance use on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and treatment discontinuation.

Stevenson, Brittany L · 2024

A major clinical question for therapists treating veterans with both PTSD and addiction: does ongoing cannabis use during treatment sabotage the results? This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial with 183 veterans provides a reassuring — if nuanced — answer. Substance use was measured at 4-week intervals throughout treatment.

Ecological investigation of the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and cannabis use among community women experiencing intimate partner violence.

Newberger, Noam G · 2023

Externalizing behavior (OR 1.37) and dysphoric arousal (OR 1.27) PTSD symptom clusters were associated with cannabis use reported in the same survey period.

The therapeutic potential of purified cannabidiol.

O'Sullivan, Saoirse Elizabeth · 2023

The areas with the most clinical evidence for purified CBD were anxiety (7 uncontrolled + 17 RCTs), psychosis/schizophrenia (1 uncontrolled + 8 RCTs), PTSD (2 uncontrolled + 4 RCTs), and substance abuse (2 uncontrolled + 3 RCTs).

Moral injury and cannabis use disorder among Israeli combat veterans: The role of depression and perceived social support.

Ashwal-Malka, Aviya · 2022

Moral injury from self-perpetration and betrayal were positively associated with CUD.

Sociodemographic and clinical correlates of cannabis dependence among Israeli combat veterans.

Asper, Ariel · 2022

Veterans with cannabis dependence used significantly more cannabis per week and scored higher on moral injury "other" and "betrayal" subscales.

Medial prefrontal cortex mechanisms of cannabidiol-induced aversive memory reconsolidation impairments.

Bayer, Hugo · 2022

Systemic CBD reduced Zif268/Egr1 protein (a synaptic plasticity marker for reconsolidation) in the anterior cingulate and prelimbic cortex but not the infralimbic cortex.

Co-use of Tobacco Products and Cannabis among Veterans: A Preliminary Investigation of Prevalence and Associations with Mental Health Outcomes.

Fitzke, Reagan E · 2022

Past 30-day co-users of tobacco and cannabis endorsed significantly higher levels of stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety compared to singular product users.

Does cannabis use predict aggressive or violent behavior in psychiatric populations? A systematic review.

Sorkhou, Maryam · 2022

Cross-sectional associations between cannabis use and aggression/violence were found in PTSD samples.

The short-term impact of 3 smoked cannabis preparations versus placebo on PTSD symptoms: A randomized cross-over clinical trial.

Bonn-Miller, Marcel O · 2021

Three cannabis preparations (high THC, high CBD, and balanced THC+CBD) were all well tolerated and all groups showed significant PTSD symptom improvement, but no active treatment was statistically better than placebo after three weeks of use..

Evidence for Use of Cannabinoids in Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD: A Systematic Review.

Stanciu, Corneliu N · 2021

Of 8 identified RCTs, CBD pretreatment showed promise for social anxiety in laboratory settings, but THC showed no benefit for depression and actually worsened anxiety and psychotic symptoms in over 50% of hospitalized depression patients.

Cannabis use among military veterans: A great deal to gain or lose?

Turna, Jasmine · 2021

Across 86 included studies, cannabis use in veterans was consistently associated with other substance use, psychiatric disorders, and self-harm/suicidality.

Impact of cannabis on non-medical opioid use and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder: a nationwide longitudinal VA study.

De Aquino, Joao P · 2020

Of 1,413 veterans with current non-medical opioid use, 30.3% also used cannabis.

Cannabis use disorder among veterans: Comorbidity and mental health treatment utilization.

Ecker, Anthony H · 2020

Of veterans with CUD (2010-2016), 79.1% had a comorbid mental health disorder and 76.8% had another substance use disorder.

Cannabinoid CB2 receptors mediate the anxiolytic-like effects of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition in a rat model of predator-induced fear.

Ivy, Devon · 2020

JZL184 (MGL inhibitor) dose-dependently suppressed predator-induced fear (ED50 = 4 mg/kg).

Does cannabis use modify the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on severe depression and suicidal ideation? Evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study of Canadians.

Lake, Stephanie · 2020

Among 24,089 respondents in the Canadian Community Health Survey, people with PTSD who used cannabis had lower odds of experiencing a major depressive episode and suicidal ideation compared to those with PTSD who did not use cannabis, after controlling for demographics and comorbidities..

Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review.

Sarris, Jerome · 2020

CBD showed tentative support for reducing social anxiety.

Cannabis Use Disorder and Post-Deployment Suicide Attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans.

Adkisson, Kelsie · 2019

Lifetime cannabis dependence was significantly associated with post-deployment suicide attempts (AOR=7.963, p=.014) after controlling for pre-deployment suicide attempts, PTSD, depression, pain, non-cannabis substance use disorder, and gender.

Interactive effects of PTSD and substance use on suicidal ideation and behavior in military personnel: Increased risk from marijuana use.

Allan, Nicholas P · 2019

PTSD symptoms and marijuana use both independently predicted suicidal ideation and behavior at follow-up.

How effective and safe is medical cannabis as a treatment of mental disorders? A systematic review.

Hoch, Eva · 2019

Across 14 RCTs (1,629 participants) covering dementia, cannabis/opioid dependence, psychosis, social anxiety, PTSD, anorexia nervosa, ADHD, and Tourette's disorder, cannabis-based medicines as adjuncts were associated with symptom improvements but not remission.

Use of medicinal cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A systematic review

Orsolini, Laura · 2019

This systematic review gathered everything published through May 2019 on cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids for PTSD.

Endocannabinoid signaling in psychiatric disorders: a review of positron emission tomography studies.

Sloan, Matthew E · 2019

Cannabis users consistently had decreased CB1 receptor binding compared to controls, normalizing after short abstinence periods.

The Impact of Cannabis Use Disorder on Suicidal and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans with and without Mental Health Disorders.

Kimbrel, Nathan A · 2018

Researchers examined the association between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and self-injury among Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. After adjusting for sex, age, sexual orientation, combat exposure, traumatic life events, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, depression, alcohol use disorder, and non-cannabis drug use disorder, CUD remained significantly associated with both suicidal self-injury (OR 3.10, p = .045) and nonsuicidal self-injury (OR 5.12, p = .009). CUD was the only variable significantly associated with self-injury across all three statistical models (combined, suicidal, and nonsuicidal). The findings are consistent with prior civilian research and suggest CUD may increase veterans' risk for self-injurious behavior..

Differential relationships of PTSD and childhood trauma with the course of substance use disorders.

Mergler, Michaela · 2018

Researchers divided 459 patients with substance use disorders into three groups: childhood trauma plus PTSD (CT-PTSD, n=95), childhood trauma without PTSD (CT-only, n=134), and no trauma (n=209). A graded pattern emerged across nearly all outcomes, with CT-PTSD worst, CT-only intermediate, and no-trauma best. Both trauma groups reported significantly higher anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts than the no-trauma group. The CT-PTSD group had significantly younger age at first cannabis and alcohol use, more cannabis use in the past month, and more lifetime drug overdoses compared to the no-trauma group. The authors concluded that both childhood trauma and PTSD independently contribute to substance use severity, and treatment programs should assess and address both domains rather than focusing on one alone..

Cannabis use disorder and suicide attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans.

Kimbrel, Nathan A · 2017

This study examined the relationship between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and suicidal behavior in a large sample of 3,233 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans. Veterans with lifetime CUD had significantly higher odds of both current suicidal ideation (OR = 1.683) and lifetime suicide attempts (OR = 2.306).

Narrative review of the safety and efficacy of marijuana for the treatment of commonly state-approved medical and psychiatric disorders.

Belendiuk, Katherine A · 2015

Researchers reviewed the scientific evidence for cannabis treatment across the conditions most commonly approved by state medical marijuana programs.

The impact of posttraumatic stress disorder on cannabis quit success.

Bonn-Miller, Marcel O · 2015

Researchers followed 104 cannabis-dependent veterans through a self-guided quit attempt, assessing them weekly for the first month and then monthly through 6 months.

The efficacy of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, in the treatment of PTSD-associated nightmares: A preliminary randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design study.

Jetly, Rakesh · 2015

CAPS Recurring Dream scores: nabilone -3.6 (±2.4) vs placebo -1.0 (±2.1), p=0.03.

Cannabis use among military veterans after residential treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Bonn-Miller, Marcel O · 2011

Researchers tracked 432 male military veterans admitted to residential PTSD rehabilitation, examining whether treatment response predicted subsequent cannabis use. Lower levels of PTSD symptom improvement between intake and discharge significantly predicted greater cannabis use frequency at 4-month follow-up, even after controlling for pre-treatment cannabis use and length of stay. Specifically, less improvement in avoidance/numbing symptoms and hyperarousal symptoms drove this relationship.

Randomised Controlled Trial Evidence on Medicinal Cannabis for Treatment of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: A Scoping Review.

Cooling, Sophie · 2026

This scoping review mapped all available randomized controlled trial evidence on medicinal cannabis for mental health conditions classified by the DSM-5.

Associations between posttraumatic cognitions and cannabis cravings among trauma-exposed individuals using cannabis.

Deguzman-Lucero, Regine M · 2026

Elevated posttraumatic cognitions were significantly associated with increased state cravings to use cannabis to cope (β=.19, p=.025).

Acute and chronic cannabis vapor exposure produces immediate and delayed impacts on phases of fear learning in a sex specific manner.

Lightfoot, Savannah H M · 2026

Acute cannabis vapor before conditioning had no immediate effect on fear acquisition but impaired fear recall in females 24 hours later and prevented spontaneous recovery of fear in both sexes at two weeks.

Effects of chronic mild stress and CB1 receptor activation on hippocampal-dependent fear conditioning in female adolescent rats.

Reich, Christian G · 2026

Chronic mild stress enhanced trace fear conditioning (episodic fear memories) in adolescent female rats.

The Effects of Extended Cannabis Abstinence in Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Cannabis Use Disorder.

Rodas, Justyne D · 2026

In this open-label pilot study, 21 veterans with both PTSD and cannabis use disorder attempted 12 weeks of cannabis abstinence with contingency reinforcement (progressive payments for confirmed abstinence at weeks 4, 8, and 12). Eleven participants achieved sustained abstinence; ten did not.

Impact of self-reported cannabis use on veterans' intensive PTSD treatment outcomes.

Schubert, Ryan A · 2026

Across two samples of veterans undergoing Cognitive Processing Therapy-based intensive treatment programs (3-week program: N=488; 2-week program: N=253), researchers examined whether cannabis use frequency before or during treatment affected PTSD and depression outcomes. Veterans in both programs reported low rates of cannabis use overall.

Trauma and cannabis cue-induced reward circuit functional connectivity in cannabis users with trauma histories.

Ethier-Gagnon, Mikaela A · 2025

Trauma cues increased cannabis craving and negative affect while decreasing positive affect.

A Qualitative Investigation Into the Experiences of Medicinal Cannabis Use Among Chronic Pain and PTSD Patients in Israel.

Gliksberg, Or · 2025

Two main themes emerged: (1) Coping with adverse effects through concealment, justification, protective behavioral strategies, and rejection of stigmatized identity; and (2) Utilizing positive effects including using cannabis to forget/disconnect, cope with helplessness, and build camaraderie with other patients against perceived institutional barriers..

Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD Integrated with Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills for Cannabis Use Disorder After Recent Sexual Assault: A Case Series.

Hahn, Christine K · 2025

This case series describes STEPS (Skills Training and Exposure for PTSD and Substance Misuse), a new therapy that combines Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD with cognitive-behavioral skills training for cannabis use disorder.

A remote measurement study of PTSD and cannabis use among veterans: Recruitment, retention, and data availability.

Leightley, Daniel · 2025

Phase 1: 20 veterans beta-tested app feasibility.

Cannabidiol prevents social avoidance, potentiation of cocaine reward and gene expression alterations induced by exposure to intermittent social defeat in mice.

Martínez-Caballero, Maria Ángeles · 2025

CBD (30 or 60 mg/kg) given during intermittent social defeat prevented social interaction deficits and the potentiation of cocaine conditioned place preference that normally follows stress exposure.

Post-Traumatic Stress in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Time Perspective Between Trauma Exposure, PTSD Symptoms, and Cannabis Use.

Pütz, Alexander · 2025

Among 105 adolescent psychiatric patients (ages 14-20), those with clinically relevant PTSD symptoms showed imbalanced time perspective: high orientation to negative past and low orientation to positive past and future.

The neuroprotective effect of cannabidiol is enhanced by resveratrol and alpha-lipoic acid in social isolation.

Ricciardi, Federica · 2025

Low-dose CBD (2.5 mg/kg) was ineffective alone, but when combined with resveratrol (20 mg/kg) or alpha-lipoic acid (10 mg/kg), it restored attack latency, reduced aggression, and decreased immobility in the tail suspension test to levels comparable to high-dose CBD (10 mg/kg).

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Cannabis Use and Affect Among Adolescents Following Psychiatric Discharge.

Brick, Leslie A · 2023

Using ecological momentary assessment over 21 days following psychiatric discharge, cannabis use among adolescents was associated with higher positive affect and lower anger/irritability but not with negative affect.

Cannabis-assisted psychotherapy for complex dissociative posttraumatic stress disorder: A case report.

Ragnhildstveit, Anya · 2023

Dissociative PTSD (D-PTSD) is a particularly severe form of PTSD where patients experience detachment from their own body and surroundings — depersonalization and derealization — on top of standard PTSD symptoms.

Cannabidiol impairs fear memory reconsolidation in female rats through dorsal hippocampus CB1 but not CB2 receptor interaction.

Franzen, Jaqueline M · 2022

Systemic CBD reduced freezing behavior for over a week in female rats when given during the reconsolidation window (within 6 hours of memory reactivation).

Interactions of Noradrenergic, Glucocorticoid and Endocannabinoid Systems Intensify and Generalize Fear Memory Traces.

Gazarini, Lucas · 2022

Low doses of adrenaline, corticosterone, or the CB1 antagonist AM251 had no individual effects on fear memory.

Cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system in anxiety, depression, and dysregulation of emotion in humans.

Chadwick, Verity L · 2020

Some evidence suggests cannabinoids, CBD, or CBD-enriched cannabis have anxiety-reducing properties.

Cannabinoids as an Emerging Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders.

Cohen, Jacob · 2020

Cannabis has received attention for potential to help PTSD patients, many of whom do not respond to current pharmacological treatments.

The Effectiveness of Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review.

Hindocha, C · 2020

Every study had medium to high risk of bias and was of low quality.

Experiences with medical cannabis in the treatment of veterans with PTSD: Results from a focus group discussion.

Krediet, Erwin · 2020

Seven veterans with chronic PTSD treated with medical cannabis participated in a focus group.

Endocannabinoid modulating drugs improve anxiety but not the expression of conditioned fear in a rodent model of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Vimalanathan, Akshayan · 2020

Acute WIN55,212-2 (CB1 agonist) reduced anxiety in "weak extinction" rats but did not affect fear recall.

A cross-sectional examination of choice and behavior of veterans with access to free medicinal cannabis.

Loflin, Mallory J E · 2019

The majority of veterans reported using cannabis as a substitute for prescription medications, alcohol, tobacco, or illicit substances.

Circulating endocannabinoids: from whence do they come and where are they going?

Hillard, Cecilia J. · 2018

Endocannabinoids aren't just in the brain.

The Endocannabinoid System Modulating Levels of Consciousness, Emotions and Likely Dream Contents.

Murillo-Rodriguez, Eric · 2017

This review proposed a novel hypothesis: that the endocannabinoid system influences dream activity. The reasoning builds on established evidence that the endocannabinoid system modulates multiple processes integral to dreaming: consciousness, learning and memory, attention, pain perception, emotions, and the sleep-wake cycle itself.

Selective post-training time window for memory consolidation interference of cannabidiol into the prefrontal cortex: Reduced dopaminergic modulation and immediate gene expression in limbic circuits.

Rossignoli, Matheus Teixeira · 2017

Researchers tested whether CBD delivered directly to the prefrontal cortex could interfere with the consolidation of fear memories in rats.

Marijuana and other cannabinoids as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A literature review

Steenkamp, Maria M. · 2017

The biological case for cannabis helping PTSD was compelling.

Cannabidiol disrupts the consolidation of specific and generalized fear memories via dorsal hippocampus CB1 and CB2 receptors.

Stern, Cristina A J · 2017

Researchers induced different intensities of fear memories in rats using varying shock levels, creating either specific fear (responding only to the original context) or generalized fear (responding fearfully to new, similar contexts). CBD (3-30 mg/kg) given immediately after fear acquisition disrupted consolidation of both types.

Longitudinal associations of friend-based social support and PTSD symptomatology during a cannabis cessation attempt.

Carter, Sarah P · 2016

Researchers studied 116 veterans with cannabis dependence and PTSD symptoms who were attempting to quit cannabis use, tracking the relationship between PTSD and friend-based social support over 6 months. Using a cross-lagged model, they found that earlier PTSD symptoms predicted later decreases in friend support, but the reverse was not significant.

Use and effects of cannabinoids in military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Betthauser, Kevin · 2015

Researchers reviewed 11 articles on cannabis use by military veterans who met diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

PTSD and Cannabis-Related Coping Among Recent Veterans in New York City.

Elliott, Luther · 2015

Researchers conducted interviews and focus groups with veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan about their cannabis use for PTSD coping.

Psychiatric and substance-use comorbidities associated with lifetime crack cocaine use in young adults in the general population.

Narvaez, Joana C M · 2014

Among 1,560 young adults aged 18-24 in the general population, 2.5% reported lifetime crack cocaine use.

The impact of perceived sleep quality and sleep efficiency/duration on cannabis use during a self-guided quit attempt.

Babson, Kimberly A · 2013

Researchers followed 102 cannabis-dependent military veterans for 6 months after a self-guided quit attempt.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and cannabis use characteristics among military veterans with cannabis dependence.

Boden, Matthew Tyler · 2013

Among 94 cannabis-dependent military veterans preparing for a quit attempt, those with PTSD reported significantly more coping-motivated cannabis use, more severe withdrawal symptoms, and stronger cravings related to compulsivity, emotionality, and anticipation. The links between PTSD and coping motives and between PTSD and craving remained significant even after controlling for concurrent cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use, and co-occurring mood, anxiety, and substance use diagnoses.

Post traumatic stress disorder and resilience in veterans who served in the South African border war.

Connell, M A · 2013

Of 54 responding veterans who served in the South African border war (1975-1988), 33% met criteria for PTSD.

The underdiagnosis of cannabis use disorders and other Axis-I disorders among military veterans within VHA.

Bonn-Miller, Marcel O · 2012

Researchers compared structured clinical interview diagnoses with VA electronic medical record diagnoses for 84 military veterans with confirmed cannabis use disorders.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, survivor guilt and substance use--a study of hospitalised Nigerian army veterans.

Okulate, G T · 2006

Researchers assessed hospitalized Nigerian army veterans evacuated from peacekeeping operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone (1990-1994).

Cannabinoid use generalizes stress responses by altering the astrocyte plasticity through extracellular matrix signaling in the nucleus accumbens core.

Hodebourg, Ritchy · 2025

THC+CBD self-administration followed by withdrawal caused male rats to show stress-coping behaviors in response to a neutral stimulus unrelated to the original stressor.

Cannabidiol Treatment in a Predator-Based Animal Model of PTSD: Assessing Oxidative Stress and Memory Performance.

Jîtcă, George · 2025

In a predator-odor PTSD model, CBD (10 mg/kg) did not significantly alter anxiety in the elevated plus maze, though a trend toward increased exploration was observed.

Cannabinoid 1 receptor availability in posttraumatic stress disorder: A positron emission tomography study.

Korem, Nachshon · 2025

Among 62 participants (19 with current PTSD, 27 trauma-exposed controls, 16 healthy controls), no differences in CB1 receptor availability were found between groups in whole brain or regions of interest.

A Systematic Review of the Clinical Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Symptom Clusters.

Rodas, Justyne D · 2024

Of 10 studies in non-CUD samples, 5 suggested benefits and 5 showed no effect or worsening.

Correlates of cannabis use in a sample of mental health treatment-seeking Canadian armed forces members and veterans.

St Cyr, Kate · 2023

Cannabis use was common among treatment-seeking CAF members and veterans, with users more likely to be younger, have PTSD diagnoses, and report using cannabis specifically for symptom relief..