Researchers from University College London gave 15 participants with no history of cannabis use 600 mg of CBD, the main non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, on different occasions for a week and then 600 mg of a placebo. They found that the main non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana increased blood flow to the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memories and learning.It also increased blood flow to the part of section of the brain responsible for decision-making. The team, from the University of College London, says the findings could offer better target therapies for those who suffer conditions that affect memory, such as Alzheimer’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The study concluded that “These findings suggest that CBD increases CBF to key regions involved in memory processing, particularly the hippocampus. These results identify potential mechanisms of CBD for a range of conditions associated with altered memory processing, including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and cannabis-use disorders.”
You can access the full study here.
There is a lot of promising research emerging in this area, for example, a study published in the journal Molecular Pharmacology in 2006, found that cannabis contains a compound with two therapeutic properties that are perfect for addressing the symptom (memory problems) as well as root cause (brain plaque) of Alzheimer’s disease. This is another finding that completely destroys the prevailing stereotype is that using marijuana “fries” the brain, leading to debilitating memory issues.
Researchers found that that the psychoactive component of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), both “competitively inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as prevents AChE-induced amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) aggregation.”
This is great news, given the fact that some drugs for the disease come with some serious side effects. Take donepezil for example, it’s riddled with controversy due its well-known association with seizures, which likely its intrinsic neurotoxicity. In fact, a chemical in the same general chemical class as venom, insecticides and chemical war agents, such as nerve gas, is used for developing this drug. You wouldn’t have to worry about that with cannabis, especially if you grew your own.
Again, there is a plethora of research out there, all you have to do is look!
