A panel of Colorado lawmakers recommended adding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to its medical marijuana program, The Denver Post reports.
Last Wednesday, the panel of five voted unanimously in favor of recommending the addition of PTSD. The vote is simply a recommendation to the full Legislature and does not have any legal effect.
The Legislature returns in January 2017.
Should the body accept the recommendation of the panel, Colorado will join 18 other states and Washington, D.C. in allowing marijuana as a legal treatment for PTSD.
“Cannabis treats all the multiple issues that are going on with PTSD like no other drug,” said Dr. Joseph Cohen, a proponent of marijuana as a source of treatment.
Colorado’s Health Department was not present at the hearing and has previously opposed the addition of PTSD. Former statements from the department cite there is not enough research on the matter.
The state is currently conducting a pioneer medical study on the effects of marijuana on PTSD symptoms. The $2 million study was approved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is ongoing.
Roughly 100,000 people in Colorado are medical marijuana patients currently.