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Inaugural Study Plans to Discover Efficacy of Cannabis for Veterans PTSD
The Battlefront Brothers Foundation received approval from the NIH to move forward with studying how medical cannabis can help veterans with PTSD.
The Battle Brothers Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Helmand Valley Growers Company (HVGC), was recently granted approval to begin an observational study to examine how medical cannabis may be used to help combat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Working together with NiaMedic, a medical data and research company, the two groups will find out if using cannabis will be beneficial in reducing symptoms in patients experiencing treatment-resistant PTSD (1). Battle Brothers Foundation and NiaMedic obtained approval to move forward with the study from the national Independent Review Board (IRB), which is an independent committee that reviews methods suggested for research to establish that they are ethical.
“This news could not come at a better time. Every day, 22 veterans are dying due to effects of post-traumatic stress from opioid addiction to depression,” said Bryan Buckley, Founder and President of the Board for Battle Brothers Foundation (1). “Through anecdotal experiences, we know that cannabis can alleviate symptoms and provide relief. We appreciate that the IRB recognizes the validity of and the need for this study.”
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) mention that the rate of PTSD among returning service members differs broadly across wars and eras (2). In a major study containing 60,000 Afghanistan and Iraq veterans, 13.5% of deployed and non-deployed veterans were found to be positive for PTSD. Other studies that have taken place demonstrated that this rate can be higher, such as 20% to 30%. More than 500,000 United States troops who have served in those wars over 13 years have been diagnosed with PTSD.
Battle Brothers Foundations’ study will be enrolling 60 California veterans, experiencing moderate or severe PTSD over the next year. Participants will then dose and titrate individually purchased products under their own discretion. Over the course of 90 days, participants will be observed so that safety and efficiency of cannabis on their symptoms can be evaluated. The study’s results will be documented and monitored at that time.
About The Partners
The Battle Brothers Foundation (3) is the nonprofit arm of Helmand Valley Growers Company (HVGC), a cannabis company founded by disabled United States Special Operations veterans that donates 100% of its profits to fund research on the medical use of cannabis for veterans (4). In 2016, HVGC founders spoke to members of Congress about the viability of medical cannabis as an alternative to the opioids military veterans were prescribed. They were advised to research data working alongside American medical doctors to build a strong case to present to Veteran's Affairs (VA).
Using its innovative medical and research protocols, data collection and analysis process, NiaMedic (4) generates high quality clinical data of medical cannabis and provides: healthcare services—research-based medical protocols integrating conventional medicine with propriety medical cannabis treatments; clinical research services; and consultation services.