news // 6 UBCO to stu “hs, Kaitlyn Kokoska : The Martlet (University of Victoria) he University of British Columbia Okanagan (UCBO) and Tilray, a Health Canada-licensed producer of medicinal marijuana, will team up ina study to treat veterans, first responders, and sexual assault victims with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Tilray employs over 200 Canadians from its location in Nanaimo and, pending regulatory approval, will provide : multiple strains of marijuana to participants for the study starting in summer 2015. The study aims to lessen symptoms of PTSD such as flashbacks, anxiety, insomnia, and depression with marijuana as an alternative to pharmaceuticals and expensive therapy sessions. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association’s manual for diagnosing mental disorders added recurrent traumatic events to the criteria for causes of PTSD. These events include situations police officers and first responders experience that, over time, prevent their brain from functioning in a healthy manner because of constant mental and emotional stress on the job. Local paramedic Cassandra : : Loveless has dealt with PTSD : for the past 1 months after a : buildup of tragic emergency : calls, and knows the effects of : the disorder all too well. “Tl go into a grocery store : and I can’t make a decision : [about what to buy]. And it’s re — : not that I don’t want to or : anything—I can’t physically : make a decision,” Loveless said. Most don’t think twice : about throwing groceries in : their basket, but in moments : like those, Loveless breaks : : down and questions her mental : dy marijuana as PTSD treatment : treatment has helped Loveless : adjust to life with PTSD, Zach : Walsh, a UBCO associate : professor of psychology and : the head investigator of the : study, wishes to explore more : treatment options. ; b ait : health. After almost a year of : exposure therapy and leave : from work, Loveless does not : fight the disorder, but states she : : adapts to it. “It never really goes : : away, you just learn to deal with : : it,” she said. Although traditional theotherpress.ca “There is anecdotal : evidence of veterans using : cannabis, and this study helps : to address the gap in the science : witha clinical study,’ Walsh : said in an interview : on January 12. According to Walsh, his : team will train participants : to take the substance through : vaporizers. The study’s ultimate : goal is to use the substance : ina healthy manner in the : hopes that the data will help : physicians with informed : decisions about treatment : options. Many people with PTSD : choose to self-medicate with : drugs and alcohol, which dulls : symptoms in the short term, ____: but has other detrimental long- aa : term health effects such as : addiction. | a: Photo by thinkstock : prospect of participants : becoming dependent on : marijuana, Walsh responded, : “There is withdrawal syndrome When asked about the and we'll watch for it, but it’s certainly not as bad as with opiates, antidepressants, : and anti-anxiety meds. We : are conscious, but not overly : concerned.” Coquitlam nearing completion of RainCity housing project » Vancouver-based RainCity hoping to resolve Tri-Cities homeless numbers , Angela Espinoza News Editor . Mnews ~ @theotherpress.ca Re. Housing is introducing a Coquitlam- based homeless shelter located at 3030 Gordon Avenue. The shelter will be the first housing project of its kind in the city. The purpose-built “3030 Gordon Project” has been in development since December 2ou, and has been under construction since last year. “The land was donated by the city of Coquitlam,” said RainCity’s associate director Sean Spear, “it’s a BC-funded project.” Spear stated that the shelter will house “30 individual units” of living space, “30 transitional suites” for those who may need a few years to progress, and “30 units available during extreme : weather.” The building’s design : is meant to incorporate : “everything that we’ve known : from running different facilities. : So it’s going to have a large : space on the ground floor, three : more storeys of the suites and : the shelter units, a back yard : area, and a bunch of different : utilities including a full service : kitchen and 24-hour staffing. : “There’s support in terms of : basically helping people get off : the street, and then stabilizing : and hopefully getting them : into either the transition units : we have, or some other form : of housing to stop the cycle of : homelessness for the folks that : are in the Tri-Cities area.” Spear added that the : community has responded : very well but a homeless issue : still exists and therefore, the : living units of the 3030 Gordon : shelter will have different : requirements. Homeless : outreach will be a factor in : accessing several of the units. “Typically there’s referrals : from other organizations so : workers will bring folks to us. : People can self-referral, and in : terms of priority, some of itis : : ona first-come, first-serve basis : : for the emergency shelter. : “The transition suites will : bea more rigorous process : in terms of who gets into the : : transition suites and depending : : on their needs and their issues. : : We typically do focus on folks : with the highest needs, the : most barriers in their life.” Spear referred to the 3030 : Gordon housing project as : “lower barrier,” which means : that those who may have not : been able to get into high : priority shelters have a chance : of using RainCity’s Coquitlam : shelter. The shelter will also differ from others in that a shopping : cart lockup will be available to those staying in the shelter, and : : in both the shelter and housing, : : people will have permission : : to bring in outside pets and : belongings when settling in. “In the past, what made it harder for folks or deterred : them to come into housing was : that they didn’t want to give up : what belongings that they did : have. It’s very much a Housing Photo by Angela Espinoza First type of model, that we just really want to get this person : indoors, out of the cold, and : then work ona plan with them : to tryand end that cycle for : them. Many have been outdoors : off and on for a number of years : by the time they arrive to us.” RainCity’s Coquitlam housing project is expected to : open by November.