Browsing Ailment Research

What is ALS? You may have heard about ALS as a result of the recent “Ice Bucket Challenge,” which helped to increase awareness of this devastating condition and to raise funds for increased research and support. ALS, known informally as “Lou Gehrig’s disease”, is a neurodegenerative disease caused by destruction of motor neurons, which are cells of the nervous system which transmit signals to your muscles to control movement. This damage leads to muscle weakness and atrophy (i.e. wasting/shrinking). In patients with ALS, weakness begins in the extremities (i.e. arms and legs) and eventually …

What Are Neurodegenerative Diseases? Neurodegenerative diseases are those which result mainly from dysfunction of the central nervous system (the CNS, made up of the brain and spinal cord) as a result of damage to neurons, the primary cells of this system that communicate with each other to send signals throughout the brain and body. Damage to neurons of the CNS can result in a decreased ability to send signals to the peripheral, autonomic, and enteric nervous systems, which make it possible for us to move, touch, digest, breathe, react to and sense our environment, …

A recent study published in The American Surgeon was titled “Effect of Marijuana Use on Outcomes in Traumatic Brain Injury.” In this study, researchers concluded that patients who had detectable levels of THC in their bodies were less likely than those who did not to die as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The retrospective study examined the data of 446 cases of traumatic brain injuries over a three year period, involving patients who had been treated at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, CA. THC Helps Prevent Death From Traumatic Brain Injury Overall, 18.4% of patients …

Cannabis is working its way toward being legalized nationwide as scientists continue conducting sound research on cannabinoids, the compounds found in cannabis, as potential forms of treatment for a wide array of ailments. A recent study suggests cannabis as a viable treatment option for those suffering from perinatal brain injuries. While there are many causes of trauma to the infant brain, there are very limited treatments available today. Cannabis could be the answer some families are desperately looking for. Perinatal Brain Injuries And The Lack Of Treatment Options The causes of perinatal brain injury span from any …

Proponents of medical marijuana have long suggested that cannabis offers a much milder form of cancer treatment in comparison to traditional western approaches like chemotherapy. Supporting these claims is a rapidly growing body of evidence that cannabis can not only inhibit the spread of cancer, but it can cause cancerous cell death through a number of diverse mechanisms. A team of researchers from Germany published a study last month in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology that sheds further light on the interaction between cannabis and lung cancer in particular. Their results suggest that cannabinoids indirectly make cancer cells …

It’s no secret at this point that certain chemical compounds found in medical marijuana may aid in the treatment of epilepsy. GW Pharmaceuticals has already commenced clinical trials to test the effectiveness of their cannabis-based drug Epidiolex, which is comprised of mostly cannabidiol (CBD), and the Epilepsy Foundation of America has called for nationwide access to medical marijuana. With that said, the Endocannabinoid Research …

Cannabis is considered by many people to be a natural source of stress relief. In fact, an Israeli study published last year validates this claim, suggesting that “cannabinoid system activation could represent a novel approach to the treatment of cognitive deficits that accompany a variety of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.” Hoping to expand on these findings, a team of researchers from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee published a study in last month’s issue of Translational Psychiatry. Their results suggest that increasing one’s levels of endocannabinoids, particularly anandamide, could be a viable treatment for …

There is a great deal of evidence suggesting that cannabis could be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In fact, a Brazilian study published last year suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) could help ward off neuronal cell death in the face of neurodegradation. In order to provide more insight on the topic of medical marijuana …

There has been an abundance of conflicting information about the potential relationship between schizophrenia and cannabis. A controversial study published in December suggests that smoking cannabis may exacerbate a genetic disposition that makes people more vulnerable to schizophrenia, but multiple studies [1,2] have shown that the plant can greatly benefit schizophrenic patients. In hopes of expanding our knowledge on this relationship, a group of researchers from the University of Manchester (UK) and the University …

One of the common questions relevant to the debate on medical marijuana use and legalization is, “How does cannabis affect mental illness?” To understand this question fully, it is necessary to understand some basics about the field of research, to assess the available evidence surrounding this question, and to consider the possible application of marijuana in treating symptoms of mental health conditions. Why Do People Think Cannabis Causes Mental Illness? Many studies have found that people who consume cannabis tend to be more likely to have various types of mental health issues, …