Anecdotal evidence supporting cannabis as an Alzheimer’s treatment gathers scientific support
There is an accepted belief among marijuana proponents that Mother Nature’s wonder drug can reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s. While the majority of the evidence has been nothing more than anecdotal relatings from patients and sufferers, there is now hard scientific evidence supporting the theory.
A recent study conducted in mice showed amazing results from marijuana and its impact on memory. The mice were put into two groups – one of mice with Alzheimer’s symptoms and the other of healthy mice. During the six-week study, the mice with Alzheimer’s were administered either a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or a placebo. Those that received the THC performed similarly to the healthy mice, while those given the placebo struggled to complete the memory exercise.
According to Yvonne Bouter, speaking at the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, “Cannabis could be beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease. The treated mice also lost fewer brain cells and their brains contained 20 percent less of the sticky plaques associated with Alzheimer’s.” Bouter is a researcher with the University Medical Center Goettingen in Germany.
Bouter adds that more studies are necessary, an assertion reiterated by Joel Loiacono of the Alzheimer’s Association of the U.S. He explained, There is an accepted belief among marijuana proponents that Mother Nature’s wonder drug can reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s. While the majority of the evidence has been nothing more than anecdotal relatings from patients and sufferers, there is now hard scientific evidence supporting the theory.
A recent study conducted in mice showed amazing results from marijuana and its impact on memory. The mice were put into two groups – one of mice with Alzheimer’s symptoms and the other of healthy mice. During the six-week study, the mice with Alzheimer’s were administered either a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or a placebo. Those that received the THC performed similarly to the healthy mice, while those given the placebo struggled to complete the memory exercise.
According to Yvonne Bouter, speaking at the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, “Cannabis could be beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease. The treated mice also lost fewer brain cells and their brains contained 20 percent less of the sticky plaques associated with Alzheimer’s.” Bouter is a researcher with the University Medical Center Goettingen in Germany.
Bouter adds that more studies are necessary. The assertion was reiterated by Joel Loiacono of the Alzheimer’s Association of the U.S. He explained, “From our perspective, there are chemicals in marijuana that can be helpful, but we’re not coming out in favor of marijuana use. They’re just beginning to do studies about cannabinoids. We’re not closing off any avenues, the jury is just still out as we need to do more research in the area.”
While the studies may have previously been difficult with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions leading an anti-marijuana movement, his departure should open many doors to further marijuana research.
