Governor Signs Bill to Add PTSD as a Qualifying Condition

On Monday, June 5 Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 17, which officially makes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) a qualifying condition for medical cannabis. The bill has been waiting on Gov. Hickenlooper’s desk since the legislature passed the bill back in April.

According to a press release from the Marijuana Policy Project, this makes Colorado the 25th state to allow medical cannabis as a treatment for PTSD. In addition to the states currently on board, Washington D.C. is also considering cannabis a qualifying condition.

Those who have advocated to make PTSD a medically treated condition in Colorado have been met with resistance in the past, since the state, normally on the forefront of medical and recreational legalization, has been reluctant to approve treatment for veterans and others who use cannabis to treat their PTSD. The Colorado Board of Health has attempted to pass something that would legalize PTSD treatments, so far with no success, so supporters are relieved with Gov. Hickenlooper’s decision.

Although recreational cannabis is legal in Colorado, now that veterans can show medically instead of just recreationally, they will have access to a wider variety of products, including those with an increased percentage of CBD, and will be able to shop at a lower price range and pay less in tax, which is important for many who struggle financially. They will also be protected against any legal changes to the recreational side of the industry, and will be able to speak to knowledgeable medical budtenders about the medicine available to them.

According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, seven or eight out of 100 Americans will be affected by PTSD in their lifetimes. Many of the veterans affected used medical cannabis, and now in Colorado, these veterans will be able to access their medicine.