Marijuana Therapy Success: With 1000 PTSD War Veterans

(MOLALLA, OR) - Oregon is one of the 16 states which has legal medical marijuana but not for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from any source, including war battle Veterans. This puts a terribly physiologic burden on the group which has the most victims who also have the worst, most severe symptoms with high suicide rates and maybe as many as 300,000 homeless, unable to tolerate the hustle and bustle of living and working with others and unable to find a non-stressful job. Standard anti-PTSD medications do not and never worked for not only this 300k, but very many more who resort to heroin, coke, meth or alcohol; countless others use escape medication- legal or otherwise.

I am a retired Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, with about 50 years of research experience with drugs of all sorts including the more exotic ones like LSD, sacred mushrooms, morning glory seeds, etc.

I am also a physician. I must say that I was more than a bit surprised when Vietnam War Veterans came to my clinic which at that time still referred to "battle fatigue", and "shell shock". Both are misnamed but are more correctly TERROR FATIGUE and TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.

When the Vietnam Vets came to my clinic with PTSD, they Oregon law restricted me from giving them "permits" to use medical marijuana, which they had found worked well for "battle terrors", which are all too common in a combat zone, day and night. They found like thousands of combat veterans before them, that battle terrors stick with them frequently, forever.

Almost all Vietnam Vets had some physical wounds and/or disabilities, for which I could allow them to get an Oregon state permit for medical marijuana. I started with about 40, I ended up with about 1000 PTSD victims, successfully treated with medical marijuana after being unsuccessfully treated with dozens of VA approved drugs which not only didn't work, but frequently made them worse and they ended up with suicide, alcoholism, murder and homelessness.

I see that New Mexico will allow permits for PTSD and this is the most common condition for which these Veterans can get a medical marijuana permit.

More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole".
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com:
Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

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Son of Vietnam Vet May 12, 2012 3:47 pm (Pacific time)

Bless all of you for you comments. Our war vets need our support in the home, the doctor's office, the community in general. Lend a hand to our soldiers that lent our freedom a hand over the years.

PTSD Sufferer May 2, 2012 8:41 pm (Pacific time)

God Bless you, Dr. Leveque! I truly admire and respect your courage, your intellect and your genuine concern for PTSD sufferers, like myself.

Anonymous April 27, 2012 11:46 am (Pacific time)

So if so much success happens with this toxicologist, how come no publicity outside of this site? 1000 PTSD vets is impressive, but where's the beef?

Editor: You obviously didn't toss his name in Google, "dr. phillip leveque" About 40,800 results (0.29 seconds)

Anonymous April 23, 2012 6:00 pm (Pacific time)

Phil is full of incredible information, I hope other media can grasp this and pay attention to the mind-bending trends regarding all of this right now, it is amazing that he is here in Oregon with us and so willing to help others the way he has for so long, thanks Doc!

BELICO April 23, 2012 8:47 am (Pacific time)

Dr Leveque, you exemplify the way people should live, pushing harder than others in your professional career, and then putting it all on the line to help Vets and to get medical marijuana legalized, no wonder every time I bring you up in a conversation, people already know who you are! Thanks for all that you do Dr. Leveque.

Vietnam Veteran Spouse April 21, 2012 12:55 pm (Pacific time)

As the spouse of a Vietnam Vet (40 years), I have experienced PTSD "up close and personal". I have been diagnosed with secondary PTSD, due to life with a PTSD affected vet. My vet has self medicated all the years that we have been together (marijuana). ALL of the vets we know have self medicated...in some form. The VA prescribes medications that just don't work. The meds can even make PTSD worse for some. The newest med to be added to our extensive list is Ambien (replaces trazadone) to help him sleep. I research each and every med given and ambien scares me. So, I don't allow him to take it nightly as prescribed, instead, only occasionally. Why on earth would you prescribe something with so many side effects to vets with PTSD, whose brain chemistry is altered. The warning label is pages and pages of some pretty extreme side effects. Marijuana works. I know that when he is "ramping up", that if he smokes, he will not be as aggitated, or will become more peaceful. PTSD is such a sinister condition and it affects not only the vet, but all of the family members. Vets who self medicate are not losers, but instead are just trying to survive their life experiences with some form of sanity. The hardest thing for me to understand years ago was that "in his world, he is normal, and we are not".

Vietnam Vet Wife April 21, 2012 8:50 am (Pacific time)

I have been married to a Vietnam vet for 40 years, who has PTSD. I also have PTSD (secondary), as a result of my life with him. PTSD is a truly awful condition. Most vets we know have always self medicated in one form or another. The majority use marijuana. I think that it calms their heightened anxiety and gives some measure of relief. The VA has prescribed terrible medications with awful side effects, that just don't work. The latest med in our extensive list is Ambien (replaces trazadone). I read all med information before he uses it. Ambien scares the heck out me. The potential or usual side effects are pages and pages long, let alone the fact that you must be taken "off" the meds with other drugs as it is highly addictive. Why on earth would you give someone this type of medication when their brain chemistry is radically altered. Makes no sense, and only turns them into ticking time bombs. Marijuana works, the vets know it works, the VA doctors know it works (their hands are tied), spouses and families know that it works. Marijuana does not make vets into losers, contrary, it allows them to feel "normal" and calm and at peace for a period of time.

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