Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders Using Cannabis
- Neurodegenerative disorders are a threat to millions of people worldwide
- There is still a need for effective treatment, but medical cannabis offers hope
When it comes to neurodegenerative disorders, most people immediately think of diseases such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer's. In reality, however, there are hundreds of different neurodegenerative diseases affecting millions of people.
Currently, medical cannabis is spreading worldwide alongside legalization, and many people caring for their suffering loved ones are understandably curious whether medical cannabis can help with their problems.
Is medical cannabis capable of helping millions of people worldwide suffering from neurodegenerative disorders?
Since the medicinal cannabinoids contained in the cannabis plant have undeniable anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, many researchers speculate about the potential prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases using this increasingly popular herb.
Juan Sanchez-Ramos, a professor of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the University of South Florida, points out the "ability of certain cannabinoids to suppress or completely stop the spread of neurodegenerative diseases through their outstanding antioxidant and neuroprotective properties."
Sanchez-Ramos also notes that more thorough studies on human subjects are needed. Unfortunately, these scientific needs are still significantly slowed down by the illegality of medical cannabis in many countries today.
Neurodegenerative Disorders - What Exactly Are They?
The term "Neurodegenerative Disorders" encompasses a range of diseases and conditions negatively affecting neurons - nerve cells - in the brain. Nerve cells are the building blocks of our brain, spinal cord, and entire nervous system. The Harvard Center for Nervous System Research recently made a quite frightening prediction:
"If we don't start doing something about it immediately, we can expect an additional 12 million American citizens suffering from various neurodegenerative diseases within 30 years."
Another unpleasant statistic is the economic cost of just one of these diseases, Alzheimer's: globally, this disease "consumes" 1% of global GDP, or 604 billion dollars.
Money aside, these diseases are devastating for many families worldwide, and research into available treatments should be a priority of medical research.
Most Common Forms of Neurodegenerative Diseases:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or "Lou Gehrig's Disease")
- Huntington's Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Prion Diseases
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
It's worth mentioning Alzheimer's as the undisputed leading cause of dementia: "Alzheimer's disease is at the origin of 60-80% of all dementia cases."
Causes and Symptoms of Neurodegenerative Disease Development
Many of today's researchers and doctors believe that neurodegenerative disorders can be caused by several factors such as traumatic brain injury, genetic mutations, and environmental influences like pesticides and heavy metals in the air. Advancing age is, of course, one of the consistent factors, especially for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.
Classic symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders, some of which can lead to death, include:
- Memory and cognitive function disorders
- Movement problems
- Weakness
- Spasticity (muscle stiffness or excessive reflex spasms)
- Complete paralysis
- Muscle inflexibility
- Breathing problems
- Cardiac function disruption
Research on Neurodegenerative Disorders and Medical Cannabis
The Cochrane Institute, considered the "gold standard" of all study reviews, recently issued an assessment of the effectiveness of cannabinoids as a treatment for neurodegenerative disorders based on a 2009 study
The final verdict? "We don't have enough data." Or the classic "We need more studies."
Since this assessment was issued, fortunately, things have moved much further, and with the expanding legalization of cannabis, many more official and unofficial data are available. For example, a 2015 study by the American Neurological Academy confirms the effectiveness of medical cannabinoids for multiple sclerosis, based on tests on real patients. Through this study, the Academy was so convinced of the effectiveness of cannabis that it stated the following:
"Medical cannabinoids and drugs like dronabinol and nabilone should be freely available and covered for all patients who could benefit from them."
The potential effectiveness of medical cannabinoids is also confirmed by an article in the British pharmacology journal published in 2014, where scientists conclude that "by modulating the body's endocannabinoid system, it is possible to achieve a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases."
One researcher in this treatment area, Dr. Andras Bilkei-Gorzo, explained the results of his observation in 2012, which are paradoxically different from the current, majority view of medical cannabis:
"At first glance, it is counterintuitive to assume that something like cannabis, a drug known for its intoxicating effects, could treat the body's cognitive system. However, more and more studies confirm the effectiveness of cannabinoids and their antioxidant effects, which play such a significant role in suppressing a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders."
Cannabis Research as a Priority
Will cannabis play a central role as a medicine against the potentially huge threat of a neurodegenerative disorder epidemic in the future? The current research is very promising, but more is still needed. We can only hope and actively spread information about treating these diseases using cannabis, which is first compassionate and second fiscally advantageous.
The currently ongoing research should answer the following questions:
- Can medical cannabis or specific cannabinoids act on the body's endocannabinoid system sufficiently to slow down or completely stop the spread of neurodegenerative disorders?
- Are the antioxidant effects of medical cannabis capable of acting as a prevention and thus prevent the development of these disorders?
Watching the decline of our loved ones' health without being able to effectively intervene is one of the most painful experiences that can happen to any of us. We can only hope that future research and countries' legalization progress will help invent a cannabinoid treatment so effective that it could free millions of families worldwide from suffering.
Author: Jeremy Kossen
Translation: Filip Maral
Source: leafly.com
Images: ibuycarz.com