Thank you so much.
I just want to point out that UBC is doing a phase two randomized clinical trial on medical cannabis as a treatment for PTSD, looking at two different preparations or combinations of THC and THC and CBD. That research is ongoing.
But do you know what? Even when that study is done, we're not going to have all the answers. Ultimately, science is not about an absolute yes or no, or right or wrong. It's about the weight of evidence. Right now the weight of evidence is that medical cannabis, while not the perfect treatment for all patients under all conditions, is relatively safer than opioids. It's relatively safer than the use of benzodiazepines by any objective measure that's been done academically.
Additionally, the use of medical cannabis seems to reduce the use of opioids. Also, interestingly enough, and particularly relevant to veterans, it reduces the use of alcohol and illicit substances as well on an ad-hoc basis.
With all of that in mind, I think that all we can do right now is to keep supporting that patient experience when it comes to veterans who are using it for PTSD, continue to do the research and increase the amount of funding and support we get for research. We can all hope that, through all of that, we'll have a better understanding next year and the year after that than we have right now.
Certainly the wrong thing to do right now would be to cut off veterans who are finding benefit from this and whose families are finding benefit from the use of medical cannabis. I really urge this committee to keep this in mind as it's making decisions based on this testimony today.