Medical marijuana is an extremely hot topic right now across the nation. It has now been proven that this illegal drug (in most states) has copious amounts of medical benefits. I came across an article titled “Marijuana compound may slow, halt progression of Alzheimer’s”. Some may think how could a drug that worsens one’s short term memory help with a disease that is all about memory loss? Well, a study that was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease states that marijuana may indeed help patients who suffer from Alzheimer’s.
Neuroscientists went to work on a cellular model of the disease and discovered that in low doses, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) lessened the production of amyloid beta. The scientists also discovered that, in low doses, THC prevented abnormal accumulation. Now many of you including myself will have no idea what any of that means. To explain, abnormal accumulation is one of the early signs of Alzheimer’s. A neuroscientist, Chuanhai Cao, explains it well, “Decreased levels of amyloid beta means less aggregation, which may protect against the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Since THC is a natural and relatively safe amyloid inhibitor, THC or its analogs may help us develop an effective treatment in the future.”
It was also discovered that THC enhances the function of the mitochondria. This is very important because mitochondria assist in keeping a healthy brain. The researchers believe that the medical benefits of low doses of THC outweigh the risk of potential memory loss. Marijuana in no way will cure Alzheimer’s, but this discovery is definitely a step in the right direction to finding a reliable treatment for the disease.
References:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/08/28/marijuana-compound-may-slow-halt-progression-alzheimer/
Although it was concluded that marijuana helps combat Alzheimer’s, which targets long term memory loss, combating it with something that causes short term memory loss wont solve much. If people with Alzheimer’s, usually older people, are smoking marijuana daily to help prevent long term loss, their short term loss will cause them not to remember much anyway. However, an extract could possibly be made that targets just that specific area to inhibit the production of amyloid beta but wont have an affect on the brain function of the consumer. Although it does hinder plaques better than current Alzheimer’s medication, there is still more research to be done before it’s used in common medical offices around the country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/28/alzheimers-and-marijuana_n_5731002.html