Study Shows that Cannabis Can Successfully Treat ADHD
Qualifying conditions for cannabis vary from state to state, and while we most commonly see cannabis used to treat illnesses such as Multiple Sclerosis or Glaucoma, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not normally considered. Yet as with many other ailments, many people have reported their own positive experiences in how cannabis has already helped them. ADHD may not be high on the list of conditions that are currently being considered for cannabis use in certain states, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 11 percent of children between four and 17 years of age are diagnosed with the disorder, as well as about four percent of adults. Word of mouth isn’t enough for skeptics, but with evidence from research studies, we could very well see ADHD added to the list of qualifying conditions in the near future.
According to The Free Thought Project, researchers who attended an international symposium on cannabinoid therapeutics presented evidence that cannabis has the potential to assist in treating symptoms of ADHD. A total of 30 patients whose conditions proved resistant to traditional treatments for the disorder were chosen, and they were studied while under the effects of cannabis. The subjects experienced “improved concentration and sleep, and reduced impulsivity,” and 22 of the 30 decided to refrain from using any other pharmaceuticals during the course of the study.
The Free Thought Project interviewed a young woman named Maria, who had avoided partaking in non-pharmaceutical substances in high school, “My sister smoked pot when I was in school, but I didn’t want to get into ‘drugs,’” she said. However, one day she decided to stop taking pharmaceutical pills and instead started consuming cannabis, and is still happy that she did, “I enrolled in the local community college, and I have a 3.9 GPA. I owe it all to weed. Sure, there are days when I still struggle, who doesn’t, but I’m not on the medicines, and I feel free,” Maria added.
The idea of using cannabis to treat ADHD isn’t a new one. In fact, in 2004, a woman name Dr. Claudia Jensen actually testified before Congress, stating that cannabis can safely be given to young children and teens to treat both ADHD and ADD. “The truth is one of the reasons that adolescents have an increase in use of cannabis and marijuana in this country is because they’ve been lied to. They’ve been told this is a very dangerous drug and it has no benefit. And unfortunately, that’s not what they experience in the street. And I think it’s more appropriate to bring it up out of the streets and into the doctor’s offices so that children and adolescents and parents can learn the truth and get some of the data and look at this drug not with a reefer madness perspective but more with a scientific and factual perspective” Jensen said in her statement to Congress.
There’s much work to be done in researching cannabis use for conditions like ADHD, but with so many people supporting cannabis (as seen in the recent election), it won’t be long before kids will be able to safely use cannabis to improve their quality of life.
