tetrahydrocannabinol + cannabidiol (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies)

Tetrahydrocannabinol + cannabidiol (THC+CBD) in the form of smoked botanical cannabis is an investigational therapy being developed by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) for the treatment of chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), specifically in military veterans. The product consists of whole-plant marijuana provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), evaluated in various potencies and ratios of THC and CBD. THC acts primarily as a partial agonist at the Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), modulating neurotransmitter release to potentially alleviate PTSD symptoms like hyperarousal and sleep disturbances. CBD acts as a negative allosteric modulator of CB1 and an agonist at the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor, which may contribute to its anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory properties. The development program includes the MJP1 pilot study and the larger MJP2 Phase 2 trial, aiming to establish whole-plant cannabis as an FDA-approved prescription medication.

Other names

Smoked cannabisBotanical marijuanaWhole plant marijuanaNIDA cannabis