Cannabis and ADD / ADHD

What is ADD / ADHD?

Individuals with ADHD essentially have problems with self-regulation and self-motivation, predominantly due to problems with distractibility, procrastination, organization, and prioritization. It is a chronic condition, beginning in early childhood and persisting throughout a person’s lifetime. It is estimated that up to 70% of children with ADHD will continue to have significant ADHD-related symptoms persisting into adulthood, resulting in a significant impact on education, employment, interpersonal relationships, and in social settings.

(Wikipedia)

In layman’s terms, ADHD is a condition in which the brain can not efficiently “ignore” unimporant stimuli. Essentially, a person not suffering from ADHD will have an easier time remaining focused on a specific project and ignore distractions while an ADHD brain is more prone to distraction due to its inability to ignore stimuli.

Current research has shown that certain strains of marijuana can provide focus to people with ADHD and many people have successfully used marijuana as a replacement to other medications (such as Ritalin or Methylphenidate).

Marijuana Facts and Resources:

• The potential role of phytotherapy for ADHD – Phytotherapy Review & Commentary
  Very lengthy and heavily cited article discussing the use of plants to treat ADHD.


• References on Cannabinoids Science and ADHD
  Large list of references and studies showing the interaction of cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors in the brain, and their relationship with ADHD.


• How Cannabinoids Improve ADHD?
  List of symptoms of ADHD which can be treated or improved with the use of marijuana. Includes citations and studies.


• Videos on Marijuana and ADHD
  Nice compiled list of videos ranging from doctors and experts to technical explanations of the inner-workings of ADHD and the relationship to cannabinoid receptors.


• Marijuana and ADD Therapeutic uses of Medical Marijuana in the treatment of ADD
  Well-cited research paper supporting the use of medical marijuana to treat ADD.


• Cannabis ‘Scrips to Calm Kids?
  Article from FOX News examining the success of marijuana as an ADHD medication rather than the use of synthetic drugs which come with their own risks.


• Cannabis effective in animal model of hyperactivity disorder
  Short snippet of research about the use of marijuana and hyperactive rats.


• THC normalized impaired psychomotor performance and mood
  Article discussing research that showed marijuana–specifically THC–improved the driving ability of persons with ADHD. Another source locate here.
  
  


• Moderate cannabis use has a positive effect on treatment for cocaine dependence in patients with comorbid ADHD and cocaine dependence
  Article discussing research showing improved results for cocaine dependent ADHD patients using marijuana. It is worth noting that Ritalin is very similar to cocaine.



• Cannabis improves symptoms of ADHD
  Case report showing how cannabis can improve the symptoms of ADHD patients. Link to original PDF here.

Anecdotal:

• ADHD by Ryan P
  A very detailed account of how marijuana helped one ADHD man.


• Testimonies from Doctors and Patients
  A large list of testimonies from patients as well as physicians in support of the use of marijuana for ADHD.


• Recipe For Trouble
  48 Hours Special on a mother who prefers to treat her ADHD child with marijuana rather than synthetic drugs.


• Posts from users at Marijuana.com regarding ADD/ADHD:
  
  -ADHD Medicine
  
  -ADHD and Medical Marijuana
  
  -ADHD Strains
  
  
  -My Life with ADD/ADHD – Success Story
  
  -Marijuana and ADHD – Success Story

source: http://www.showmethefacts.org/medical-marijuana-facts/add-adhd/

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