Study to Look at Cannabis as Treatment for Tourette Syndrome

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap] new Australian study will soon evaluate how medical cannabis could help treat patients who suffer from Tourette syndrome.

According to The Advertiser, Wesley Medical Research Institute neuropsychiatrist Philip Mosley will be conducting this trial in Brisbane, Australia, by observing 24 adults who suffer from severe cases of Tourette syndrome.

Currently, the only existing medical treatments for Tourette syndrome are antipsychotic medications, which can cause negative side effects in the patient, and deep brain stimulation, which has been somewhat effective in alleviating symptoms, but can be expensive and only performed via surgery.

Mosley hopes to begin his study by the middle of the year, and will be administering a cannabis product containing both THC and CBD to patients. He thinks that while THC alone should help, adding in CBD should eliminate any complications from consuming cannabis. “We think it’s a combination of the two that will hit the sweet spot,” Mosley said.

Study participants will be provided with cannabis medicine either as a liquid or as a pill. While Mosley is excited about the results, he admits that he realizes why many are still skeptical about this treatment. “I think doctors are rightly cautious,” he said. “I’m hoping that this trial, if it’s beneficial for this condition, will enable doctors to prescribe with more confidence if they have a patient with Tourette syndrome.”

However, it is not surprising that there is demand for a study such as this one. Medical cannabis has been considered for a plethora of medical conditions and many studies have been conducted about the benefits it can have on patients with various medical conditions. The possibility of using cannabis to treat Tourette patients isn’t a new concept either, as other studies have researched the possibilities as early as 2013.