Alzheimer’s Disease: Amid Fear & Failures, A Plant Offers Promise
and 2012, 99.6 percent of trial drugs intended to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease had failed. (Of 244 clinical trials in that time frame, only one drug was deemed a success.). According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 5.5 million Americans currently live with the disease. By 2050, that number is expected to rise as high as 14 million.
A Despite the daunting news, there are rays of hope from one
sector of the Alzheimer’s research world. Many recent studies indi- cate that the active compounds in the cannabis plant may work to protect against and slow the progression of this disease. Below is a quick glance at some recent studies surrounding
cannabis and Alzheimer’s. Please note that none of these studies involve human subjects, and that because cannabis remains on the FDA’s Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act list, studies with humans are, at best, years in the future. Nevertheless, the following fi ndings are illuminating:
• 1998: Dronabinol (a synthetic version of the THC molecule found in natural cannabis plants) is shown to have effi cacy in calming the agitation common to mid-stage Alzheimer’s.
• June 2013: At The Roskamp Institute in Sarasota, Florida, re- searchers hypothesize that some Alzheimer’s symptoms are caused not by excessive production of beta-amyloid plaque, but by the failure of these plaques to clear from the brain. Their research fi nds that the active compounds in cannabis can assist plaque in cross- ing the brain/blood barrier, clearing the body of Aþ and potentially protecting against, or fi ghting, plaque buildup associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
• July 2014: The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease includes a report (not yet published at the time of this writing, but available via Na- tional Institutes of Health) indicating that delta-9 tetrahydrocannabi- nol, commonly referred to as THC, lowers Aþ levels and inhibits the aggregation of these proteins.
lzheimer’s researchers in the U.S. are sounding an alarm. In July of this year, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, a non- profi t academic medical center, revealed that between 2002
The studies referenced here all examined isolated cannabi-
noids, rather than addressing the synergistic action among the hundreds of active compounds in the plant. While the fi ndings are promising and merit additional research, it’s important to note that whole-plant studies are imperative if we intend to unearth a veri- table solution or even a cure. But these studies provide hope. Typically, pharmaceutical drugs
spend 10 years in the developmental pipeline. That timeline simply does not work for the millions of people who currently live with Alzheimer’s. If we wait for a pharmaceutical solution, even one de- rived from the whole cannabis plant, we will allow too many others to pass through the doorway of “Alzheimer’s.”
If you have questions about medical cannabis in Maine, visit
the Wellness Connection of Maine at
www.mainewellness.org or email
info@mainewellness.org. And be sure to look for our regular articles about medical cannabis in future issues of Essential Living Maine! See ad on page 27.
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Experience 17
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