Grant: Catalyst Grant: Cannabis and Mental Health - Veterans

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling condition, associated with panic attacks, troubled relationships, unemployment, and suicide. Yet, current treatments for PTSD are only fully effective in approximately 50% of patients. Preliminary evidence suggests that Cannabidiol (CBD) may be an effective treatment for PTSD; however, further research is needed to determine CBD's efficacy as a treatment for PTSD. Accordingly, in alignment with the CIHR's stated objectives for the Catalyst Grant: Cannabis and Mental Health, we propose a pilot clinical trial to address the following research questions: Research Question 1: What is the feasibility of recruitment, randomization, intervention implementation, blinded assessment procedures, and retention in a clinical trial which will assess the therapeutic effectiveness of CBD to treat PTSD in veterans? Research Question 2: Are there potential negative biological and psychological effects of using CBD to treat PTSD, and do these effects differ in males and females? Research Question 3: What factors influence uptake of CBD by PTSD patients, and do these factors vary by gender dimensions? The results of this pilot clinical trial will be used to evaluate the feasibility of a clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of CBD as a treatment for veterans with PTSD. Furthermore, the results from this study will be used to determine facilitators and barriers to the use of CBD by veterans with PTSD. The results of this pilot clinical trial will be shared with diverse stakeholders from multiple sectors nationally through social media, webinars, infographics, factsheets, and peer-reviewed publications.