When the term ‘cannabis’ is thrown at an audience, one receives mixed reactions. The millennials and the subsequent generations are more receptive to it due to its popularity as a recreational drug. However, with the excavation of knowledge on the wonders of medical cannabis and its components, the day isn’t far when cannabis would be highly sought after by all the generations alive. Through extensive research, cannabis is being tested as a potential treatment for medical conditions which have limited scope for treatment, and the results have been astounding. Here, we would see how studies on cannabis have proved it to be a beneficial form of treatment for the patients of Alzheimer’s and those with broken bones.
Cannabis and Alzheimer’s
The most common cause of dementia is the Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease as a result of cell damage in the brain. It worsens over time and causes disorientation, confusion, speech problems, as well as behavioral changes. There is no cure for this disease. Treatments do exist; however, there is no treatment for the progression of the disease.
The lack of effective treatment options have driven researches to study cannabis as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s and the findings have led to a significant interest in cannabis-based treatments for the same. The research is mainly to understand whether medical cannabis could help disrupt the neurogenerative process that leads to the progression of the disease. The interaction of medical cannabis with the body’s endocannabinoid system could potentially play a neuroprotective role.
A recent study presented at Neuroscience 2018 was conducted on mice with Alzheimer’s and it was found that the psychoactive compound of Marijuana (THC) helped improve memory and reduced neuronal loss. In 2016, a study conducted in Israel concluded through testing that the medical cannabis oil (CBD) when used by Alzheimer’s patients, reduced symptoms of dementia. Two studies held in 2016 and 2014 examined the impact of THC on the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. It was found that since THC reduces inflammation, it mitigated brain damage and helped reverse the buildup of the harmful amyloid plaques in the brain which caused the death of the brain cells. These studies have been pivotal in understanding the benefits of a cannabis based treatment for Alzheimer’s which could help stop, if not reverse, its lethal progression.
Can cannabis mend broken bones?
Over the past decade, various studies have been conducted which gauge how cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) affects bone healing and development. These studies suggest that CBD can not only accelerate the healing process of broken bones, but also make them stronger.
A study published in 2009 issue of International Immunopharmacology- tested CBD on model rats. The rats which were subject to CBD presented a decreased alveolar bone loss. Another study conducted at Tel Aviv University by Yankel Gabet was done on rats and proved that CBD could be used for effectively healing fractures in humans. In a new study, rats with broken thighbones were injected with either CBD, or a combination of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD. It was found that CBD helped strengthen the fracture callus that forms on a mending bone, which in turn, enabled the speedy healing of the broken bones. Fracture callus is a bridge made of collagen, which forms on a mending bone and gradually hardens into a new bone. Therefore, CBD treated rats presented a stronger collagen tissue than those not treated with cannabis.
The aforementioned studies depict the effectiveness of CBD in mending broken bones. Along with healing bone fractures, CBD also has the potential for treating osteoporosis.
Conclusion
In wake of the extensive research being done in the field of medical sciences, the scope of administering medical cannabis as a potential treatment is ever-increasing. Research has proved the effectiveness of CBD and THC in treating Alzheimer’s, and solely CBD in treating broken bones. As science constantly seeks better forms of treatments, the wonders of cannabis are worth exploring.
