Best CBD For Tourettes 2024: Does Medical Marijuana Help?

The search for alternative solutions in treating many serious neurological tic disorders nowadays has led to some incredible findings. Using medical marijuana and/or CBD for treating Tourette’s syndrome is one of them, as the question of their efficacy comes into play. 

How Can Marijuana Help With Tourette’s Syndrome?

The difference between pure CBD oil and medical marijuana is in its content. While CBD exists in its pure form, medical marijuana contains two different chemical components, THC and CBD. 

Even though the research^[3] is insufficient and has only been done on a smaller scale, there are those who report reduced tics as well as a relief in mental disorders that often accompany the condition when using. Still, the same that’s been said for Tourette’s syndrome CBD product can be repeated here, the research and data are insufficient to conclude how medical marijuana actually helps with Tourette’s syndrome and its symptoms.

Medical Marijuana 101

Although still illegal at the federal level, marijuana has been legalized (or decriminalized) for medical use in 36 states and four territories. Due to this report, issued by the Institute of Medicine, which states how scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of THC and other cannabinoids, many of the US states decided to decriminalize its use for medical purposes. 

At the federal level, marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I substance, which means that it’s considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, making its distribution a federal offense. The state vs. federal perspective remains different and when colliding, each situation comes out with an individual outcome depending on the case. 

The biggest challenges regarding medical marijuana include how to regulate its recommendation, dispensing, and registration of approved patients. Some states have created specific programs for registering and tracking their patients, while others are still trying to figure out what works for them best. 

Still, the therapeutic potential of medical marijuana exists, and it’s recommended in many cases in patients dealing with chronic pain^[4], PTSD^[5], late-stage cancers, and chemotherapy-induced vomiting and nausea^[6]. 

Probably the most common use for medical marijuana in the United States is for pain control, specifically chronic pain. It’s safer than opiates (such as oxycodone or Vicodin) and it can take the place of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for those who can’t take them due to problems with their kidneys or ulcers, as well as GERD.

It appears that medical marijuana eases neuropathic pain^[7], an area that is hard to find treatment for in general. One of the reasons for this is its muscle-relaxing characteristic which is why it’s generally recommended to people with Parkinson’s disease^[8] (to calm down tremors), fibromyalgia, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and most other conditions where the final common pathway is chronic pain.

Another important use of medical marijuana is in helping alleviate and manage nausea and weight loss, and it can also be used to treat glaucoma^[9]. It’s known to open up the appetite, so those having food issues can get hungrier and help prevent unwanted weight loss. 

The Recreational Use Of Marijuana 

The recreational use of marijuana differs from its medical characteristics due to the fact the person taking it doesn’t have to have a medical condition to be a user. The laws in the US are changing daily, with all 50 countries being in the loop. 

At the moment, 18 states, two territories, and Washington DC have legalized small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use. Others are bound to follow suit. 

Risk & Side Effects

Being classified as a Schedule I substance, medical marijuana comes with some risks and side effects that don’t have to present themselves in everyone. These include:

• Changes in sleep and appetite
• Overall fatigue
• Problems with memory and mood
• Slowed-down reaction time
• Potential paranoia

The Marijuana Risks

Getting high from marijuana is a natural concern for everyone who’s never tried using it, as well as what damage it could do to one’s lungs and brain. The FDA hasn’t approved marijuana as a medicine, and the CDC^] doesn’t consider it to be one as well.

Since it’s being inhaled, the potential of damaging the lungs and cardiovascular system exists, as well as the still-unknown long-term effects it may have on your brain. Another problem with medical marijuana stems from the fact that the ingredients in each plant can be different, causing uncertainty in what kind and how much of a chemical you’re actually getting.

The same uncertainty exists in whether or not medical marijuana will get you high^[10], as well as potentially make you addicted. The problem comes from the fact that in the last 20 years, there’s been a 212% increase in THC content in the marijuana flower, making even the small doses stronger and more potent than ever before. 

The increased potency of THC showed visible withdrawal symptoms^[11] which include anger, irritability, depression, restlessness, headache, loss of appetite, insomnia, and severe cravings for marijuana.

It seems that 9% of those who experiment with marijuana^[12] will eventually become addicted, with 25–50% of those being daily users. A study conducted in the UK in 2015^[13] found that marijuana use is associated with “increased severity of dependence, especially in young people.”

Tourette’s Syndrome

Tourette’s syndrome is a serious nervous system disorder that causes sudden, repetitive movements, twitches, and sounds. People who suffer from Tourette’s cannot control these tics, and since they’re sudden, they can happen anytime, anywhere. 

Types Of Tics

All tics can be divided into two groups: motor and vocal. 

• Motor tics are movements of the body, such as blinking, jerking parts of the body, shaking, shrugging the shoulders, facial grimacing, and similar. 
• Vocal tics include yelling out a word or a phrase, humming a melody, clearing out the throat, sniffing, and alike.

Both of these tics can be simple (sudden, brief, and include a limited number of muscle groups) or complex (combined bigger movements or sounds that might even seem intentional, like jumping or touching objects). 

Triggers For Tics

Although Tourette syndrome ts can happen at times, certain triggers can make them worse. Excitement and anxiety are the usual suspects, as well as hearing or seeing someone sniff or cough which can make them do the same. 

Comorbidities

People with Tourette’s syndrome often experience additional neurobehavioral problems which happen simultaneously. Some of them include:

• ADHD^[14] (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Behaviors)
• Anxiety
• Learning disabilities
• Behavioral issues
• Autism spectrum disorders^[15]
• Social functioning difficulties
• Problems with sleep

Current Treatments For Tourette’s Syndrome

Although incurable, the existing medical treatments for Tourette’s syndrome include:

• Specific medication (Haloperidol (Haldol), pimozide (Orap), and aripiprazole (Abilify) ) with the goal of reducing tics and their intensity
• Speech therapy 
• Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) combines the elements of habit reversal training and psycho-education and function-based behavioral interventions
• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is for those whose motor and vocal tics significantly impact the quality of life and who have tried all other treatments but failed to get relief
• Dental orthotic device devices which are normally used for TMJ (temporomandibular joint) treatment
• Medical marijuana is still being researched, but with the potential being high, the hope for more randomized, large-scale clinical trials grows

How To Choose The Best CBD For Tourette’s?

If you’re trying to relieve symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome and you’re willing to try CBD oil, always look for these properties:

• 100% organic ingredients (both hemp and soil, as hemp, has the tendency to absorb elements and minerals from the soil)
• Full-spectrum CBD because of its entourage effect, the group dynamics of the integration of multiple cannabis compounds at the same time
• CO2 extraction to make the CBD product as clean as possible, without any harmful chemicals
• Third-party tested for transparency

How To Use Medical Marijuana For Tourette’s?

Although the reports are scarce, those that exist mention inhaling marijuana^[16] to relieve the symptoms. The earliest case^[17] reported improvement in tics and comorbid symptoms. 

Even though inhaling medical marijuana seems to be the way to go, with no conclusive evidence, no health provider will recommend it to those who are suffering from Tourette’s syndrome. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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