Post-traumatic stress disorder is a very well known type of anxiety disorder that is usually caused by a traumatic event, often causing people to relive these events in flashbacks or nightmares. When not effectively treated, PTSD can have a major impact on a person’s life, their ability to get quality rest, and their emotional wellbeing, and so finding the right treatment can make such a remarkable difference. Recently, for patients in the UK who are not responding to licensed medications, medical cannabis PTSD treatments have emerged as a suitable, and available, treatment option worth considering. If you live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and have been unable to manage your symptoms with conventional treatments, you may qualify for a medical cannabis prescription.
1 in 10
people in the UK are expected to experience PTSD in their lifetime.
90%
of people with PTSD develop at least one mental disorder, such as depression, alcohol abuse or anxiety.
81%
of PTSD patients reported an improvement in symptoms within six weeks of starting medical cannabis treatment.
84.5%
of patients with PTSD rated medical cannabis treatment as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ effective in Releaf’s 2025 patient survey.
Symptoms
Angry outbursts
Difficulty concentrating
Flashbacks
Irritability
Nausea
Nightmares
Pain
Sleeping issues
Sweating
Trembling
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms. Please speak with your GP to find out more.
Treatment options:
When treating PTSD, the NHS typically turn to talking therapies, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), first. However, in the UK, waiting lists for these therapies can be very long, and so, medications are also often prescribed to help individuals manage their symptoms on a day-to-day basis.
Amitriptyline
Mirtazapine
Paroxetine
Phenelzine
Sertraline
Venlafaxine
Whether you’re new to cannabis-based medicines, switching from another medical cannabis clinic, or self-medicating, we’ll put you back in control of your health.
Condition PTSD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Peripheral Neuropathy
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Anxiety & Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Restless Legs Syndrome
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Insomnia
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition CRPS
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Adjunctive Cancer Care
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Insomnia & Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition ADHD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Endometriosis
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Low Back Pain
Subscriber 3 years
Condition Arthritis
Subscriber 2 years
Condition ADHD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Anxiety & ADHD
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Anxiety & Depression
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Chronic Pain
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Endometriosis
Subscriber 2 years
Condition Fibromyalgia
Subscriber 2 years
"Medical cannabis is increasingly being considered as a treatment option for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to its potential to alleviate various symptoms associated with the condition. Our patients all report a reduction in anxiety and panic attacks, as well as greatly improved sleep. We have found a combination of a THC oil and vaping flower an effective regimen to treat hyperarousal type symptoms."
Dr Alex Van Heerden
Generalist
18. 08. 2023
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – or PTSD – is an anxiety disorder and complex psychological condition brought on by a distressing and traumatic event. Those diagnosed with PTSD often experience generalised underlying anxiety, flashbacks, panic attacks, and nightmares.
18. 08. 2023
05. 08. 2023
Across the UK, around two and a half million people are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the charity PTSD UK, around 20% of people who experience trauma will go on to have some form of PTSD. This equates to around 10% of the country’s overall population.
05. 08. 2023
22. 08. 2023
The cannabis plant is a horticultural marvel. Its oil can be used as a salad dressing, its seeds are packed with protein and healthy fats, and its fibres make for a much more sustainable and durable alternative to cotton. What’s more, its stems, leaves, and buds are packed with compounds known to have a range of potential medicinal properties.
22. 08. 2023
Medical cannabis for PTSD has been legally available to eligible patients in the UK since November 2018.
However, prescriptions are only available via a CQC-regulated clinic and when administered by a clinician on the General Medical Council’s (GMC) specialist register.
To qualify for a cannabis-based treatment as a PTSD patient, you will also need to meet certain eligibility criteria. These generally include:
A confirmed PTSD diagnosis from a doctor or medical professional
Failure to find adequate relief from symptoms when taking at least 2 conventional PTSD treatments
Not having a previous diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or psychosis
Not being pregnant or breastfeeding
Having a detailed medical history available for clinical review
It’s important to note that medical cannabis for PTSD should never be viewed as a first-line treatment, and it won’t cure your condition.
Unlike other conventional PTSD treatments, medical cannabis hasn’t been through the same licensing processes, which is why it isn’t routinely available as a treatment via the NHS.
It also won’t work for everyone, but it may help certain patients to find relief from symptoms when other treatments, like trauma-focused therapy, haven’t been able to on their own.
Complex PTSD, or CPTSD, is a condition which typically develops after experiencing repeated or prolonged trauma over numerous months or years.
While it’s similar to PTSD in terms of the core symptoms it causes, it tends to also be associated with more emotionally-led symptoms, including issues with self-worth, emotional control and maintaining relationships.
So, could a medical cannabis prescription help to alleviate these symptoms?
The current research into medical cannabis for complex PTSD is even more limited than for PTSD more generally, so it’s hard to say.
As with PTSD, other first-line treatments like trauma-focused therapy should be considered first. But for some patients, medical cannabis may be worth looking at as part of a wider treatment plan.
The easiest way to see whether you qualify is by using our medical cannabis eligibility checker. It’s free, takes less than 30 seconds to fill out and could be your first step to finding relief.
Medical cannabis contains certain compounds known as cannabinoids, which interact with our body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system is essentially a large, complex cell signalling network that helps regulate various bodily processes like sleep, temperature, metabolism, and our fear response.
The ECS sends signals throughout the body via specific receptors, commonly known as CB1 and CB2, which are located all over the body.
CB1 receptors are found mainly in the brain and central nervous system, whereas CB2 receptors are more commonly found in our immune cells.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), two of the main cannabinoids found within medical cannabis, can also interact with these receptors, where they may then be able to influence the processes that the ECS is associated with.
In terms of PTSD, this means that medical cannabis may be able to alleviate certain symptoms linked to the condition, including sleep disturbances, feelings of hyperarousal, low mood and the fear response brought on when reliving traumatic events.
Take Daisy’s story, for example. After experiencing a series of panic attacks and feelings of depression every day, she is now feeling much more in control of her PTSD as a Releaf patient.
The relationship between medical cannabis and PTSD is still being explored in clinical research, with many studies showing either mixed or inconclusive results.
In fact, you may have recently seen some major tabloids reporting that there is “no evidence” for medical cannabis and mental health disorders, like PTSD.
But this isn’t necessarily the case, especially when you look at recent patient survey results and real-world data.
For example, according to the 84 patients with PTSD who took part in Releaf’s 2025 UK Medical Cannabis Survey:
84.5% said that taking medical cannabis treatment was ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ effective
97.6% reported experiencing an improved quality of life, with 83.3% saying they had improved daily functioning
Almost two-thirds of respondents believed that medical cannabis treatment improved their ability to work or study
These results also echo the findings of an 18-month study conducted by the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, which looked at the relationship between cannabis-based treatments and PTSD in 269 patients.
Published in the Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics journal in 2025, the researchers found that medical cannabis led to reported improvements in anxiety, sleep quality and overall quality of life over 18 months.
The data collected was only observational though, so it can’t definitely prove cause and effect between the two. But it certainly shows that it’s an area of clinical research worth keeping a close eye on.
For more information on whether cannabinoids may be able to reduce the symptoms of PTSD, take a look at our dedicated article.
THC and CBD are both types of cannabinoids found in medical cannabis cultivars.
While they both come from the cannabis plant, they work in very different ways when inside the body:
THC is the intoxicating cannabinoid. It binds with the CB1 receptors in the ECS, which can then produce the ‘high’ sensation associated with medical cannabis
CBD is non-intoxicating, so it won’t get you high. Unlike THC, it doesn’t bind strongly to either CB1 or CB2 receptors. Instead, it behaves indirectly and is more commonly associated with offering a calming effect
For PTSD specifically, there is no single right option or one-size-fits-all treatment.
Everyone responds differently, so finding the best balance of THC: CBD for your needs will need to be controlled and worked out by a specialist, based on your symptoms, tolerance level and medical history.
They will also need to account for another compound contained in medical cannabis cultivars, called terpenes. You can learn more about what these are and which terpenes are best for PTSD in our dedicated article.
If you have been diagnosed with PTSD and qualify for medical cannabis treatment, your clinician may prescribe it to you in a few different formats.
Finding the right format for you will depend on certain factors that you’ll talk through during your initial consultation, such as your specific needs, symptoms and any other medications you’re taking already.
Here at Releaf, our specialists can prescribe eligible patients with treatments in the following formats:
Dried flower (for vaporising)
You can learn more about each of these medical cannabis formats by visiting our medicines page or by talking directly to your prescribing clinician.
A medical cannabis prescription may be able to help certain patients with PTSD manage their symptoms more easily when taken alongside other conventional methods.
But it should never be viewed as a first-line treatment by itself or a replacement for any other conventional method.
In the UK, the first-line treatment recommendations for PTSD are set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and generally include trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR).
These will all need to have been offered to you before medical cannabis can be considered as part of your wider treatment plan.
It’s important to be up-front: medical cannabis doesn’t work the same way for everyone and, as with any other type of prescription medication, there are certain risks and side effects involved.
While many of these are typically mild, the most commonly reported side effects can include a dry mouth, headaches or dizziness.
But there are also some more serious risks to be aware of. For instance:
THC-dominant medical cannabis cultivars have been shown to increase anxiety or panic disorder in some studies
You won’t be suitable for medical cannabis if you have been previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, psychosis or bipolar disorder.
The cannabinoids contained in medical cannabis may interact with existing medications you’re taking already.
These risks and side effects make it clear why it’s so important to give a full medical history to your prescribing clinician during your initial consultation. That way, they’ll be able to assess your individual risk and help you make a more informed decision.
We have made the process for getting assessed for a medical cannabis prescription as straightforward as possible.
The first step is to check whether you qualify for an initial consultation by using our medical cannabis eligibility checker. This is completely free to use and takes under 30 seconds to complete.
If you do qualify, you’ll then need to book an initial consultation with one of our specialists.
During this appointment, they will discuss your PTSD diagnosis and medical history in more detail to confirm whether a medical cannabis prescription could support your existing treatment plan.
Once confirmed, you will then be able to become a legal medical cannabis patient, where you’ll receive clinician-led care and a personalised treatment plan to support your specific needs.
Head to our dedicated article to find out more about how our prescription process works and a breakdown of what you’ll need to qualify.
Releaf - redefining healthcare.
