THC drug dronabinol cuts PTSD nightmare frequency in trial

A new clinical trial has found that a prescription medication containing THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, can significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of trauma-related nightmares in people with post-traumatic stress disorder. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, provides some of the most robust evidence to date for the potential of cannabinoid-based treatment for this debilitating symptom.

The multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved more than 170 adults diagnosed with PTSD who suffered from frequent, intense nightmares. For ten weeks, participants received either nightly doses of dronabinol, a plant-derived THC formulation, or a placebo. By the end of the treatment period, the group receiving dronabinol showed a significantly greater reduction in nightmare burden.

On an eight-point severity scale, nightmare scores decreased by an average of 3.7 points for the dronabinol group, compared to a 2.2-point reduction for the placebo group. More than a third of patients treated with dronabinol reported a complete cessation of nightmares, while an additional 21 percent experienced at least a 50 percent reduction in...