Post-traumatic stress disorder is now a qualifying condition for doctor-recommended medical marijuana in Colorado.

Gov. John Hickenlooper on Monday signed Senate Bill 17 into law. The bill opens the doors for Colorado residents to receive a doctor’s OK to use medical marijuana in the treatment of PTSD symptoms.

It’s the first new qualifying condition added under the state’s medical marijuana law since it was implemented in 2001. The state’s eight other qualifying conditions are: cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, cachexia, persistent muscle spasms, seizures, severe nausea, and severe pain.

The inclusion of PTSD among Colorado’s medical marijuana qualifying conditions has been a hotly contested issue of recent years.

Read the full story at The Cannabist.

In this March 10, 2016, photo, former U.S. Marine, Mike Whiter lights a marijuana cigarette before he starts editing a video project at his home in Philadelphia. A growing number of states are weighing whether to legalize marijuana to treat PTSD. While the research has been contradictory and limited, some former members of the military say marijuana helps them manage their anxiety, insomnia and nightmares. Photo by Mel Evans, AP.

In this March 10, 2016, photo, former U.S. Marine, Mike Whiter lights a marijuana cigarette before he starts editing a video project at his home in Philadelphia. A growing number of states are weighing whether to legalize marijuana to treat PTSD. While the research has been contradictory and limited, some former members of the military say marijuana helps them manage their anxiety, insomnia and nightmares. Photo by Mel Evans, AP.