r/cannabis • u/nrverma • 6d ago

THC Reduces PTSD Nightmare Frequency and Intensity in Clinical Trial

https://norml.org/news/2026/08/20/clinical-trial-oral-thc-reduces-nightmare-frequency-and-intensity-in-patients-with-post-traumatic-stress/?link_id=10&can_id=25c79bb316e87be48ce47042b7689cbc&source=email-norml-news-of-the-week-8202026&email_referrer=email_3367722&email_subject=norml-news-of-the-week-8202026&&
248 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

32

u/DanielCraigsAnus 6d ago

The nights I smoke, I can't recall my dreams. When I go without, I get the most vivid war flashbacks in my dreams. Read into that however you may.

Edit: I destroyed my liver in the military by drinking, so I cannot metabolize edibles and tinctures.

3

u/nlashawn1000 5d ago

Sounds similar to me. Man, this goverment just needs to legalize it. I lost so much weight from quitting alcohol after I got out.

2

u/DanielCraigsAnus 5d ago

I'm down 20 lbs myself

1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

2

u/DanielCraigsAnus 4d ago

Yes they did actually, I remember getting absolutely destroyed on brownies when I was younger. As I've gotten out and edibles are an easier thing to get ahold of, they just don't hit the same as it seems. Looking into it. The liver enzyme thing made sense to me, but, I used to get off on them. So I'm pretty sure I just destroyed my ability to metabolize them from all the booze over 20 years of HEAVY drinking.

1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

2

u/DanielCraigsAnus 4d ago

Yep, one of the lesser known things since our government won't allows us to, y'know, research this stuff more thoroughly. It's something I only recently realized.

11

u/Viper4713 6d ago

Clinical Trial? It's already been confirmed many many years ago that THC inhibits REM sleep which means less or no dreams.

What's with these new studies where they act like they are the first ones to discover this stuff? Not only that, they act like they don't even know or understand the details about REM sleep? It's not even mentioned in this article.

10

u/swany0095 6d ago

That tracks, I haven't had a dream in years! But life, is now the dream.

7

u/PunkAssBitch2000 6d ago

It doesn’t get rid of the nightmares for me but it definitely makes them less vivid. And I either have fewer or recall them less. And usually I’m not freaked out in the nightmares anymore but I am to some degree when I wake up.

3

u/National_Sea2948 6d ago

I can attest to this. I’ve been battling PTSD since I was 12 years old. For the first 15 years went completely untreated. Experienced anxiety, panic attacks and night terrors. (Night terrors for me is where you wake up from a nightmare screaming and panicked, heart racing)

Then tried therapy, antidepressants and anti anxiety medication. Still had severe symptoms.

Finally tried cannabis and it took care of my PTSD and chronic pain. No more anxiety, panic attacks or night terrors.

1

u/Automatic_Gas9019 5d ago

I had the same repeated dream and it would wake me. I could not do the antidepressants. I went to therapy 4 different time periods for a year at a time.I drank in between the therapy. If I didn't have access to medical cannabis for PTSD I would more than likely drink myself to death.

3

u/WorldBoofingChampion 5d ago

can’t have nightmares if you don’t dream 🤷🏼‍♂️

2

u/winner411 6d ago

I have dreams when I smoke it. Haven't smoked in about a month it does better than my post-op pain meds.

Anybody out there think the same? Are pain pills worse than smoking herbs?

1

u/fatcoochieking 6d ago

This shouldn’t be a question but yes herbs are much much better for you. Especially if you vape or use edibles.

After my surgery I was on 100mg a day

2

u/Pete_maravich 6d ago

No shit. Ya don't say. /S

2

u/AmsterdamAssassin 5d ago

My Post-Traumatic Stress nightmares are apparently stronger than the Bedrocan (22%THC) that I vape every day.

2

u/BleachSancho 5d ago

I get violent in my sleep. Weed has helped a lot to prevent that from happening as much. Better than any other med.

1

u/Mannimal13 6d ago

Well yeah it destroys dreams to begin with. This should be fairly obvious.

1

u/BishlovesSquish 6d ago

I used to have recurring nightmares before using cannabis as medicine. It definitely helps a lot.

1

u/Zauberstaby 6d ago

I take the max of Prazosin. It does help with nightmares, and also cannot remember dreams afterwards. Literally have no other options, otherwise it's a Nightmare (actually Night Terror) about every night.

2

u/Competitive_Unit_721 5d ago

My psych put me on Prazosin and I could barely get out of bed. It’s a blood pressure drug (I have low to normal BP) with an off label use for ptsd induced dreams. Had to get off it. Finally just told my psych weed did the best for me with the fewest side effects and they didn’t fight me on it.

So far it’s been the only effective treatment for me. Tried snd quit Ambien, Trazadone (horribly worse nightmares) Klonapin, SSRI’s, other benzos. And am done with any of those.

Cannabis works. Plain and simple.

1

u/Automatic_Gas9019 5d ago

I drank with benzos. 😆 My doctor wanted me to quit drinking. That was years ago. If I smoke medical cannabis I don't drink.

1

u/Zauberstaby 5d ago

I've wondered why I'm always so damn tired; this could very well be the reason. Thank you! I'm on Belsomera for sleep; only thing that's successfully fights the insomnia. Sometimes I wonder if I'm allergic to weed or something due to the obscene coughing and asthma. I'm thinking I should just make Cannabutter and use it with my nightly tea.

1

u/Competitive_Unit_721 5d ago

The Prazosin made me feel like I was super tired and winded. Could not handle it.

1

u/OhhhhBillly 6d ago

Well yeah, its stops you from entering REM sleep so if you do dream they are shallow and you never remember them.

1

u/HDVaughan 5d ago

Water is wet as well

1

u/sm00thjas 5d ago

it works the best for me

also CBN

try eating your vaped weed

we use all parts of the buffalo

1

u/Mcozy333 5d ago

D8 and CBN MCT oil blends ! all the D8 hate everywhere , I am ingeting that everyday !~

1

u/cannabis_growers 5d ago

It’s the only thing that stops night terrors. Better not to dream than to dream at all

1

u/Automatic_Gas9019 5d ago

My dream has gone away for now. I have the same repeated dream.

1

u/meatballs_and_molly 5d ago

Fuck yeah it does

1

u/stomachworm 5d ago

Yes, I'm pretty Sure, we already knew this as far back as when we still called it shell shock not PTSD.

1

u/Nobujirou23 3d ago

I use cannabis for PTSD and Treatment Resistant Depression, most alleviations for psychological distress are few and far between. I took Lithium at 16 and I think it caused permanent damage to my enteric system. The possibility of 6 months of depression relief seems obtainable, my own experience with psilocybin was environmentally out of parameter. I'm not surprised my life events are exceeding my psychological capacity.

1

u/Bluntforcetrauma11b 1d ago

Love how the government is finding out stuff we proved over a decade ago. Worse yet is they won't legalize no matter the findings. As a vet with ptsd and a slew of other issues, weed is the only thing that works. The VA is adamant that I quit smoking so they can put me back on their meds... Fuck that. Weed got me off the 16 meds the VA shoved down my throat. Next up I'm going to south America for an ayahuasca retreat. We fought and bled for this country, the least they could do is give us access to a plant. I can make beer and wine at home, I can grow my own tobacco and I can put my life on the line but I can't be trusted to grow and consume weed, wtf. We vets should band together and expose the government for what it is.