Stuttering is a frequent speech disorder encountered in about 5% of children. Although symptoms improve in adulthood in most people affected, stuttering persists in some patients and significantly impairs everyday functioning and quality of life. Current treatment for stuttering includes speech therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and relaxation techniques. However, symptoms of a large portion of patients do not improve much from these treatment strategies and some patients are even treatment resistant.
A case study reported a case of a 20-year-old male with treatment-resistant stuttering, who markedly improved after treatment with medicinal cannabis. The benefits include improved speech fluency, remission of (social) anxiety, improved mood, and reduced stress, an overall improvement of quality of life after cannabis therapy. The patient also reported improved attention, concentration, and sleep, increased self-confidence, and better social life. No side effects occurred. Over a period of more than a year, treatment was equally effective. The authors concluded that medicinal cannabis could be effective in treatment of refractory stuttering, but these preliminary data must be confirmed in controlled studies.
Reference :
Szejko, N., Fremer, C., Baacke, F., Ptok, M. & Müller-Vahl, K. R. Cannabis Improves Stuttering: Case Report and Interview with the Patient. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (2021) doi:10.1089/can.2021.0060. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34314602/
