Snake oil or wonder drug? Marijuana has inspired so much excitement and skepticism from researchers, marketers, and cannabis fans alike. No wonder weed delivery in Santa Monica is increasing & also around the world as much as state laws apply. The results of the medicinal studies are promising. Scientists have observed therapeutic benefits in everything from epilepsy to anxiety to Parkinson’s and even Alzheimer’s. As scientists continue to find pieces of evidence for the drug’s potential treatment for mild and chronic illnesses, some researchers are focusing on the effects of medical marijuana on Alzheimer’s disease.
Nobody ever said getting older is easy. Thankfully, marijuana or CBD can make senior life easier by alleviating some of the common symptoms and diseases associated with old age. Creaky, painful joints? CBD’s anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities have people turning to marijuana to help for arthritis. A CBD-based drug is even made to reduce pain from rheumatoid arthritis and some even go to CBD relief from gout attacks.
According to Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s today and by 2050, this number is projected to rise up to 14 million. The disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. 1 in 3 seniors die from Alzheimer’s or another dementia, more than breast and prostate cancer. Between 2000 and 2018, Alzheimer’s deaths have increased to 146%.
Beta-amyloid protein is the key contributor and prime suspect of Alzheimer’s. It is a sticky and toxic compound that accumulates in the brain and disrupts communication, leading to eventually killing them, and the most common cause of neurodegenerative disease. In 2014, a preclinical study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease discovered that small doses of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) can slow the growth and production of beta-amyloid proteins. However, Neel Nabar, the co-author of the study, cautioned against drawing absolute conclusions from the study. He said that just because the drug may be effective doesn’t mean it can be safe for anyone. However, the findings may lead to the development of something that is safe, legal, and useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
A similar study from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California also found THC and other compounds from marijuana may help reduce the amount of beta-amyloid in the brain. David Schubert, the professor at the Salk Institute, and one of the authors said that the study also demonstrated that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and accumulation of amyloid-beta in the brain. Antonio Currais, a postdoctoral researcher and the first author on the paper noted that the THC-like compounds that the nerve cells make themselves are involved in the major protection of the nerve cells.
While the results of the study are promising, researchers warned that the findings were done in a laboratory model and more research is needed in a clinical trial before any conclusion must be made.
Researchers from the Abarbanel Mental Health Center and the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University along with the Department of Psychology at Bar-Ilan University conducted a study observing the effects of cannabis on Alzheimer’s disease. They observed 10 participants with Alzheimer’s over the course of 4 weeks and despite the small size of the study, they concluded that medical cannabis oil is a safe and promising option for Alzheimer’s patients.
At the University of Bon, Andreas Zimmer experimented 18 months old mice which roughly is equal to 70-year old humans. Mice normally start to show a mental decline after a year and by 18 months, get lost in the maze and in other mental tasks. Basically, Zimmer kept them very slightly stoned with cannabis. His research was one of the firsts to give convincing findings that synthetic THC seems to slow down age-related brain degeneration. In addition, THC helps reduce the three fronts of brain disease — inflammation, brain plaques, and tangles — by attacking them. Zimmer, as a scientist, is enthusiastic by his observations on mice and his knowledge in the THC field, that what works on mice may successfully work in humans.
Researchers still have a lot to learn about the effects and potential benefits of cannabis on the human brain. A few clinical trials have identified that it can help manage symptoms associated with dementia such as agitation and aggression, but only in some cases. More trials and conclusive evidence are definitely needed on the effects of cannabis for Alzheimer’s disease.
“THC can’t be super-harmful — we’d know about it by now,” says Britta Schürmann, a biologist on the Zimmer team. Today, you can conveniently avail of weed delivery and try for yourself the benefits of THC and CBD.