Study Reveals Cannabis May Offer a Breakthrough Treatment for Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. It is the most common form of dementia.
The disease most commonly affects those over 65 years of age. The disease affects over 50 million people worldwide. Currently, there are no drugs that inhibit cell death associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Because of this, researchers have been looking to develop techniques to remove neurotoxic amyloid plaque, which is a common symptom of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.
There are many medications of the market that can slow down the progression of the disease, but the truth is, they are not doing very much goof. They can also have harmful side effects on the body. Conveniently, there was a study done recently that shows medical marijuana may offer a breakthrough treatment for the disease. The study was conducted out of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, and has demonstrated that the psychoactive compound in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), removes clumps of proteins from nerve cells which are believed to kick-start Alzheimer’s disease.
A preclinical study published in the journal of Alzheimer’s disease found that very small doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can slow down the production of beta-amyloid proteins, thought to be the main characteristic and key contributor to the progression of Alzheimer’s. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most active ingredient in marijuana.
Unfortunately, medical marijuana is a very debatable topic in the United States right now, hopefully those affected and the ones desiring alternative treatment can explore the benefits of the drug soon.