Dementia is a common term used for disorders that cause degradation in thinking ability. Although it doesn’t refer to any particular disorder it is mostly used to indicate Alzheimer’s. And it is impossible to talk about dementia treatments without mentioning marijuana. Marijuana is always in the debate because it is considered both good and evil when it comes to treating dementia. This dilemma can be contributed to the lack of research and studies in this field.
Is marijuana a boon or a bane for dementia?
Contents
In all honesty, more research is needed to give solid proof of how marijuana help or causes dementia but from what evidence we have we can only conclude a few things.
For
The reason why scientists believe that marijuana can be beneficial for people who already have dementia is the cause of the following.
Study 1
Some research back up the fact that low doses of THC can help to restore the memory and learning ability of its user. The said result was observed after administering low doses of THC to mice and how it interacted with the hippocampus of mice’s brains.
Since the area of study on humans is still blank there’s no evidence that THC interacts with our brain the same as it does with mice.
Study 2
One other research gives positive results in vascular dementia. This dementia is known for its neurodegenerative nature which is caused by poor blood flow in the brain. Poor blood flow causes the death of brain cells and causes vascular dementia. The good part is that the study showed that cannabinoid present in marijuana could be beneficial for this disorder. That’s because it interacts and activates the CB2 receptors of the brain which in turn can help to increase blood flow.
Against
Many believe that prolonged exposure to marijuana can leave people with no dementia at a higher risk of dementia as it can hinder or lower the blood flow to the brain. One of the studies showed that Poor flow of blood could lead to dementia and impair the memory and thinking ability of its user.
Factors to keep in mind
The paradox can be pretty confusing and make people avoid it as much as possible but one thing that we are missing in the results is that in these studies cannabis use differs. When we talk about people being at risk of developing dementia cause of marijuana we are talking about the people who use marijuana for recreational purposes. They do not use marijuana in controlled and medically suitable quantities.
On the other hand, the studies which show that marijuana can help to improve dementia are performed in laboratory settings and under the supervision of doctors.
Maybe that’s why such a paradox exists in the first place.
Conclusion
This article was just a medium to let you know where we stand when it comes to dementia and marijuana as its cure. And it’s safe to say nothing is conclusive till we have more research on the subject but we can use marijuana for what we know is safe and effective. Like treating inflammatory diseases and helping muscle spasms.
It is important to note that following safety rules is necessary to get the desired result and one way to go about it is by using marijuana under the supervision of your West Virginia MMJ doctor. You can also consult a doctor to get your West Virginia medical marijuana cardwhich helps you to purchase better marijuana products under legal security.
