Pharmaceutical Treatment for PTSD on the Way? Cannabinoid Receptors Linked to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Researchers at the NYU Langone Medical Center have unearthed a link between the number of cannabinoid receptors in the human brain and post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings, reported in Molecular Psychiatry, are said to highlight the need for a pharmacological treatment specifically for PTSD. “In fact, we know very well that people with PTSD who use marijuana—a potent cannabinoid—often experience more relief from their symptoms than they do from antidepressants and other psychiatric medications. Clearly, there’s a very urgent need to develop novel evidence-based treatments for PTSD,” said one researcher on the study.