cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Could Prevent Alzheimer's Marijuana Could Prevent Alzheimer's Posted by CN Staff on January 26, 2009 at 19:48:56 PT By Stephanie Webber Source: Lantern Ohio -- A puff a day might keep Alzheimer's away, according to marijuana research by professor Gary Wenk and associate professor Yannic Marchalant of the Ohio State Department of Psychology. Wenk's studies show that a low dosage in the morning of a certain cannabinoid, a component in marijuana, reversed memory loss in older rats' brains. In his study, an experimental group of old rats received a dosage, and a control group of rats did not. The old rats that received the drugs performed better on memory tests, and the drug slowed and prevented brain cell death. However, marijuana had the reverse effect on young rats' brains, actually impairing mental ability. Alzheimer's is a disease unique to humans and the memory loss in the rats was a natural decline, but rat brains are similar enough to human brains to serve as partial models for humans, Wenk said. Research on marijuana as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease began because of the drug's success in slowing progression of multiple sclerosis and reducing patients' pain, Wemk said. Alzheimer's affects a similar part of the brain that MS does. Other research has shown that young people who take Advil regularly for arthritis, drink alcohol in moderation or smoke cigarettes reduce their risks of developing Alzheimer's as they age, but marijuana is the first substance that has worked on older brains in experiments.Alzheimer's screening is available for people in their 30s, but it is expensive and many people do not recognize the warning signs. "People get diagnosed [with Alzheimer's] in their 60s, and they need something now," Wenk said. Separating the benefits of marijuana from the high is a problem the researchers encountered, and Wenk said that it might not be possible. "That poses a problem, because you can't be making people with memory loss high," he said. Research involving marijuana or any other illegal drug is controversial, and Wenk's findings are no exception. He said it is difficult to get work published, and his findings have received criticism that he is advocating a "stoner life," and praise for contributing to science. MSN, Yahoo and WBNS have all featured his research. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has recently elected Wenk as a fellow for his contributions to Alzheimer's research. "I am God and I am the devil," Wenk said. Graduate student Holly Brothers, who worked on the research with Wenk and Marchalant, said that the scientific community does have sway on policy makers' decisions on drug use, but it is a slow process. "We accept medical use of cocaine and morphine, which are just as illicit as marijuana and extremely addictive," she said. The FDA maintains that marijuana has no medical use. Despite this, 13 states have legalized medical marijuana. Source: Lantern, The (OH Edu)Author: Stephanie WebberPublished: January 27, 2009Copyright: 2009 The LanternContact: lantern osu.eduWebsite: http://www.thelantern.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/PU90TswERelated Articles: Marijuana Reduces Memory Impairmenthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24324.shtml Marijuana May Stave Off Alzheimer's: Studyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22243.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by user123 on January 31, 2009 at 15:31:20 PT: Ray-gun When they mentioned old rats and Alzheimer's, I thought they were talking about Reagan. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Hope on January 28, 2009 at 22:35:18 PT I don't like the idea of incomplete cannabis or synthetic THC. But, if it's the THC that's helping patients fight Alzheimer's, then doctors should be prescribing the synthetic THC instead of more harmful and less helpful medicines to the people that could benefit from it right now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Hope on January 28, 2009 at 22:32:35 PT Key words in article below... "...the majority of subjects experienced significant pain relief...""In the study, Ajay Wasan, MD MSc and colleagues found that when used for non-cancer pain management, the cannabinoid class of medicines (such as dronabinol), got patients "high," but the majority of subjects experienced significant pain relief independent of these psychoactive effects."Oh yes, and there's some verification of all the "anecdotal" evidence, of patients, so often ignored, that dronabinol, has that oh so unacceptable "high", that patients said it did and big pharm said it didn't. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on January 28, 2009 at 19:43:36 PT Press Release: American Academy of Pain Medicine Study of Cannabinoid Medicine for Pain Found Patients Got 'High,' but Effects Not Related to Pain ReliefMore Research Needed on Addictive Qualities and Benefits of This Class.January 28, 2009URL: http://www.sunherald.com/prnewswire/story/1100832.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Storm Crow on January 27, 2009 at 06:58:47 PT "A certain cannabinoid" I don't seem to be finding the name of the cannabinoid! Well, it isn't CBD "Separating the benefits of marijuana from the high is a problem the researchers encountered, and Wenk said that it might not be possible." CBD doesn't really get you high, so CBD is out of the running. Could possibly be that the unnamed "certain cannabinoid" could be THC? Marijuana's Active Ingredient Shown to Inhibit Primary Marker of Alzheimer's Diseasehttp://www.pacifier.com/~alive/articles/ca060809.htmThey can't let it get out that THC will stop Alzheimer's! Why, people might stop believing in big Pharm's pills! And who knows? They might even start treating OTHER ailments with pot! No telling where it would end! Cannabis could be a major catastrophe for the whole medical industry! (giggle) [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on January 26, 2009 at 20:25:55 PT Dr. Wenk Research involving marijuana or any other illegal drug is controversial, and Wenk's findings are no exception. He said it is difficult to get work published, and his findings have received criticism that he is advocating a "stoner life," and praise for contributing to science."When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic." -Dresden James [ Post Comment ] Post Comment