Those dealing with the disorder can find relief in CBD
Tourette syndrome (TS) is recognized as an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder that manifests in childhood and is characterized by physical and vocal tics, such as repetitive jerky movements or socially inappropriate expressions. Fortunately, studies have shown that marijuana can help with different symptoms of Tourette syndrome, reducing anxiety and the frequency of tics.
There has been considerable interest in the potential of marijuana to reduce the frequency of tics in TS sufferers and several papers have been published on the subject. It has been shown that most patients experience considerable relief after using cannabis.
There is also evidence that very few patients suffered from side effects. Cannabis is believed to reduce the tics of Tourette’s syndrome by acting in a similar way as it does in other dystonia-producing diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is the most common comorbid illness in TS patients. TS patients who also have OCD exhibit behaviors such as repetitive counting and touching things and then “tidying them up” and may also exhibit increased aggression compared to patients with OCD alone. It has recently been verified that patients treated with THC experienced a decrease in obsessive-compulsive symptoms along with a reduction in tics.
Many Tourette’s patients also suffer from sleep disorders. Although there has been no specific research on the effect of cannabinoids on sleep disorders in patients with TS, there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to suggest that cannabis may also have a positive effect on this aspect of TS.