Salem-News.com (May-08-2007 11:57)

Oregon Toxicologist Says Treatment for PTSD Should Include Cannabis
Dr. Philip Leveque Salem-News.com
Phillip Leveque, a former WWII combat infantryman, physician and toxicologist, discusses the merits of marijuana use for those who suffer from PTSD.

(MOLLALA, Ore.) - For those who do not know it, the humans and all animals so far tested produce two marijuana like substances, Anandamide and 2- Arachidonal glycerol (2AG), which produce exactly the same medical functions as marijuana.

Secondly marijuana/cannabis has been used in human medicine for about 4,000 years and have never killed anybody, which cannot be said for almost any other medicine.

Thirdly, between 1850 and 1900 cannabis medicine was the most prescribed and most used medicine for about 100 different diseases in the U.S.

Fourthly, in 1988 after hearing 15 days of testimony, pro and con, DEA Administrative Judge Francis L. Young made the following ruling, “Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. Marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume.” Three DEA Administrators, all non-physicians, refused to comply and have deprived millions of desperately ill patients’ effective relief.

Authors Note: Many newspapers and magazines are currently publishing articles about PTSD – what is it and what to do about it. Most reporters AND psychiatrists don’t have a clue. One heavy artillery or mortar barrage would give them some insight.

In World War I, it was called “Shell Shock”. As a frontline Combat Infantryman, pointman, scout and forward observer, I know what an artillery or mortar barrage is like – it scares the bejesus out of the soldier. In a long barrage, I can see the soldier going psychotic – frozen in space and time and not being able to speak or move, even if some battalion officer visiting the front would order him to do so. It happened a lot.

During World War II, if the soldier was lucky (I’m joking) he would be sent back to an aid station and be given a triple dose of a barbiturate sleeping pill. These were called “blue 88s”. They would knock-out the soldier for at least 24 hours. Then he was often sent back to the front. On the off chance it was an officer, he would be sent way back to a rest area, often with as much booze as he wanted for as long as he wanted.

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/may082007/ptsd_leveque_5707.php

Before any one takes offense, I only post that I believe have some points of interest for veterans.
I am not advocating for or against here, but I do have to wonder at the ease with which the FDA and pharmaceutical companies push "new" drugs on to an suspecting and trusting population only to pull them after serious illness or death in users. Let them experiment on themselves. In the case of PTSD sufferers with legitimate problems, if something so benign provides them, and thus their loved ones, so much relief, what reason can the government have for prohibiting it?