Medical Cannabis for Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is it an option?

Abstract

Joseph Rosado

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that slowly destroys Memory and thinking skills and ultimately the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Currently, it is ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the fourth leading cause of death in Colombia and on the island of Puerto Rico. Medical cannabis is not only alleviating pain and suffering for patients with a number of different diseases and showing a potential to kill tumors, but also, according to research from the University of Nottingham in the UK, shows great potential to improve neurological function after a stroke. Cannabinoid agonists can reduce the inflammatory response and Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to protect against the neurotoxic effects of beta amyloid peptides (Aβ) in cell culture and cognitive behavioral models of neurodegeneration. Interestingly, Cannabidiol (CBD) and Î?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) combination therapies show that CBD can antagonize the psychoactive effects associated with THC and possibly mediate greater therapeutic benefits than any of the phytocannabinoids alone, although CBD also reverses and prevents the development of cognitive deficits in rodent models with Alzheimer's disease.