Home

Nix Your Tics

Documentary

Writings

Youth Haven

Ask Dr. Dunc

Accolades

Presentations

Resources

Links

Disclaimer

Contact

If you are a new visitor, diagnosed with a difference, please read this introduction letter to you.

For all other new visitors, Dr. McKinlay also has a special introduction letter to you.

Nix Your Tics!

The Second
(E-)dition from "Life's A Twitch! Publishing". Click here to learn more.

To watch the Life's A Twitch! documentary via streaming video, click here.

If you would like to reprint writings from this site, please click here.

Before Signing the Guestbook

If you wish to return to the 'Ask Dr. Dunc.' mainpage, please click here

If you wish to visit the 'Ask Dr. Dunc.' question archives, please click here

 

Question 57: Hi Dr. 'Dunc", My daughter and I (she's 30) are watching you on Montel Williams Show. We've seen other shows of his on this same disorder and I have a question for you. Is this a disorder that could possibly be helped with the use of medical marijuana? I've heard that it relaxes a person. Would it relax a sufferer sufficiently to help 'control' some of these involuntary tics? B.C., FL, USA.

Good Day B.C.

This is certainly a "hot topic" in the press these days, and yes some initial exploration has been done in the area of marijuana and tic relief with some positive results. However this one study needs to be replicated, and more work needs to be done regarding long-term effects (or adverse reactions), whether it is a better treatment than other currently used and potentially safer interventions, etc.. I would anticipate that, should benefits be confirmed, researchers will want to discover what exactly it is about marijuana that helps, and then replicate this element in a pharmaceutic that has fewer deliterious effects (and isn't illegal!). If the only benefit ends up being its ability to relax an individual (and, through stress reduction, indirectly decrease tics by "removing the fuel") then I wouldn't expect the research to advance much further beyond that, as there are many currently accepted "relaxation" therapies and drugs available.

The reference I referred to in my response to you is:

Müller-Vahl, KR, Koblenz, A, Jöbges, M, Kolbe, H, Emrich, HM & Schneider, U. (2002). Influence of treatment of Tourette syndrome with delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC) on neuropsychological performance. Pharmacopsychiatry, 33, 57-61.

I hope this helps Bonnie!

Dr. Dunc.

Top of Page

Nix Your Tics!

Documentary

Writings

Accolades

Presentations

Resources

Links