Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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AlexisSchaffer
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Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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Here's a quote by Dr. Gary Wank, neuroscientist:

“They were reporting on their blog that as low as one puff a day was enough to help the people handle some of their pain,” Dr. Wenk said. “So, what we found, essentially, is that very low doses on a daily basis seemed to reduce brain inflammation. And if you do that for a long enough period of time, we find that it reduces brain inflammation and we start neurogenesis.”

Intuitively, I'd think that marijuana use would be detrimental to our brain health, cause plaque build-up, and would exacerbate symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, even if it does reduce inflammation.

Does anyone have thoughts on this they'd like to share? I'd be interested if anyone's tried this and found it helpful.
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TheresaB
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Re: Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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There are some studies suggesting that there may be a positive effect, see the wiki Cannabinoids, Cannabidiol (CBD), THC, HEMP, Marijuana, Cannabis but from how I read it, the research is far from conclusive, research into marijuana for medical application is restricted due to it's illegal nature in the US so researchers need a special license to study it, additionally, there's no financial incentive to research it, marijuana can't be patented by drug companies.
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AlexisSchaffer
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Re: Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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TheresaB wrote:There are some studies suggesting that there may be a positive effect, see the wiki Cannabinoids, Cannabidiol (CBD), THC, HEMP, Marijuana, Cannabis but from how I read it, the research is far from conclusive, research into marijuana for medical application is restricted due to it's illegal nature in the US so researchers need a special license to study it, additionally, there's no financial incentive to research it, marijuana can't be patented by drug companies.
Thanks for providing that link, Theresa! It was really informative. I'm going to have to do some more research on cannabinoids now. :)
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floramaria
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Re: Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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AlexisSchaffer wrote: Does anyone have thoughts on this they'd like to share? I'd be interested if anyone's tried this and found it helpful.
I believe that sleep is an important concern in AD prevention and treatment. Sleep expert Matthew Walker has said in many interviews that THC inhibits dreaming, which he says is detrimental. On CBD, I’ve heard him say that while there is not enough scientific evidence to endorse CBD use, if it helps someone to fall asleep by reducing anxiety , it could be helpful. And no known downside.
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AlexisSchaffer
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Re: Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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floramaria wrote:I believe that sleep is an important concern in AD prevention and treatment. Sleep expert Matthew Walker has said in many interviews that THC inhibits dreaming, which he says is detrimental. On CBD, I’ve heard him say that while there is not enough scientific evidence to endorse CBD use, if it helps someone to fall asleep by reducing anxiety , it could be helpful. And no known downside.
That's really interesting! Here's a study I found after doing some research on CBD: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28217094

It seems like CBD may actually help prevent and reverse cognitive deficits in mice with AD. If it weren't so expensive I'd probably be more keen on trying some, lol.
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floramaria
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Re: Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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AlexisSchaffer wrote: That's really interesting! Here's a study I found after doing some research on CBD: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28217094

It seems like CBD may actually help prevent and reverse cognitive deficits in mice with AD. If it weren't so expensive I'd probably be more keen on trying some, lol.
Interesting. that study points to the synergistic effect of THC and CBD together. I had heard that before, and when i was in CA, I purchased a 20:1 CBD:TCH for that reason. But CBD is available pretty much everywhere now, and i think that if there is any THC it is regulated, at least in my state.
along the same lines, Recently heard Chris Shade of Quicksilver Scientific introduce their new Full Spectrum Colorado Hemp Oil. He also says that a small amount of THC boosts the overall effectiveness, though I can’t recall the mechanism of that. For the past couple of weeks, I have been using the QS Colorado Hemp Oil sans THC before bed to help me relax into sleep. When I run out I may try their Full Spectrum product. It is expensive, but he had some convincing (to me at least) data showing better absorption of QS products. So I think and hope that a little will go a longer way. From the perspective of someone who has suffered at times from being seriously sleep-deprived, anything that helps me sleep and is safe seems like a bargain. I imagine all of my “brain trash” being taken out while I am in deep sleep.
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Re: Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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floramaria wrote:I imagine all of my “brain trash” being taken out while I am in deep sleep.
Maybe I need some too, then, lol!
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Re: Marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's?

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Maybe we'll gain knowledge of marijuana's impact on the brain thanks to the NFL community. From this article https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/273 ... e-research
Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson and his business partner, ex-NFL lineman Rob Sims, have partnered with Harvard University to research the benefits of medical marijuana in the areas of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly known as CTE, and the management of pain.
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