The Minnesota Department of Health added post-traumatic stress disorder as a qualifying condition under the state’s medical marijuana program on Thursday.

“PTSD presented the strongest case for potential benefits and a … lack of treatment alternatives,” said MDH Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger.

PTSD comes in many forms, and there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for individuals who are dealing with the psychological condition. Medical marijuana will not work for everyone, but like we mentioned in our post on Daith piercings for migraines, medical marijuana will provide another potential low-cost treatment option. Medical marijuana is by no means cheap, but trying the initial treatment is much less costly then certain therapy sessions or countless doctor visits, so it opens a new door for individuals with PTSD.

Coming In 2017

Although PTSD has been added to the list of approved conditions for medical marijuana in the state, it was not granted immediate approval. PTSD won’t be considered an active condition until August 1, 2017. However, this doesn’t mean that it will be easy to get clearance from a doctor for PTSD. Military veterans will need to get a doctor’s diagnosis and approval in order to be eligible, but that recommendation cannot come from any Veterans Affairs hospital because marijuana is considered illegal under federal guidelines. They will need to get approval from another physician, and oftentimes it’s difficult to get a new physician to declare you eligible for the medical marijuana program, as doctors are leery of patients jumping from doctor to doctor to try and find a doctor that will grant them approval.

PTSD was the only condition added to the list of approved conditions on Thursday, as Ehlinger and the Minnesota Department of Health shot down proposals for other conditions like arthritis and depression.