Cool Cannabis: Marijuana Can Beat Alzheimer's

A lot of Multiple Sclerosis sufferers use it to relieve their spastic muscles. I can see where it would help in that instance. Good job! :)

There are many medical uses for weed, pain relief, treatment for stress and anxiety, relieving motor control conditions... the list goes on. Then there's the recreational side of it, less damaging than tobacco or alcohol (and more pleasant than both). Imagine the money that could be made selling this stuff as a cash crop.

Very informative!

Ah! I must mention this to my students, many of whom already seem to be alzheimer-proofing themselves, even at their tender age!

I think the old weed has gotten a bad wrap for too long now.

Grant

A load of crap by liberal scientists? I have to call BS on OSU's researchers and question the credentials of the people conducting the study

with a family history of Alzheimer’s and currently already having the beginning stages of glaucoma, i wish that our government would consider the advantages of turning marijuana into a cash crop. surely they would make more money from selling it than they do with busting people who have it.

Can you imagine what would happen for America's debt problem if the government would legalize, control, and tax marijuana? Putting the same limitations on it as alcohol and cigarettes? Can we say bye-bye to our debt deficit? I think so. Seems like a no brainier to me. To bad the government has spent millions of dollars on the 'War on Drugs' that research has shown has done nothing but make teenagers even more aware of the fun they can have if they just said yes. Stupid government.

You best be very careful John Q, The Ohio State University takes a dim view of those who impugn the ethics and honesty of their staff and educators. It would be comical to stack all of the degrees those liberal scientists hold up against yours to see which is taller.

Oh yeah. Sending a link to this piece to everyone that I know.

I liked it. I second The voice of reasons opinion about John Q. but seriously, great article, keep up the good work.

There are some ideas in here that I would protest, but other then that I think you have a great story here.
Nice Work.

The fact is the only reason that marijuana was illegalized was so Dow Chemical could sell nylon rope to the navy, instead of hemp rope... The medicinal, commercial, and environmental uses of the hemp plant have been well documented literally for hundreds, if not thousands, of years... good research on the part of Ohio State.

That's interesting. The thing is--is there only one kind of Alzheimers out there? I suspect that (as with most diseases) there are several types but because of gene patenting we may not know about it.

Well written!

Regards,

Inna

quite interesting

Great piece of work here Amit. Well done

Nice write!

OK now, what hasn't MJ been touted by the druggies as fixing. Sure it fixes everything, you forget you have it.

Come on. When there is a 100% air tight, repeatable study by someone who isn't smoking it and high on it, tell me. Till then, let's quit telling kids MJ has a valid use. It does. Destroying lives.

I have worked with alzheimers for years and have often questioned the use of mj for the diseae. this is a great article thanks for the good info.

Did you say Marijuana causes or prevents Alzheimer's ?? Sorry I was stoned when I read it ..... j/k .
Well Done Dude. I am well aware of the miraculous medicinal properties of Marijuana & even more so the Hemp stock thingy which rocks even more. Save the Planet !!

There are all too many people in the UK suffering psychosis following recreational use of weed. Personally I don't want to live in a world filled with crazies running around. Complete full and proper research on the dangers and benefits then licence it as a drug if its effects are theraputic....

Very informative article, actually not only Alzheimer's which maryjane can cure. Brilliant post!

Good to know that I was Alzheimer proofing myself in college..lol! I can't understand all the hoopla about banning medicinal marijuana, which does help people suffering from the effects of all sorts of illnesses. Considering that alcohol and cigarettes kill far more people, and I have yet to find any research on marijuana killing people, then dog gone it, why not help those in suffering, or those who can benefit from it? I bet if half those people have seen what a person with cancer goes through when smoking marijuana, and see how much calmer, in less pain, and be able to eat and keep food down, then maybe they'd have some compassion and not care so much. The benefits of hemp are innumerable, and if used medicinally, what's the big deal? Well written and researched.

The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. Nice article!

I had an Aunt with Alzheimer's and a friend who regularly smoked weed. When talking with them on the telephone, the only way to tell them apart was that the friend was male - and sounded male most of the time.

I believe this same Ohio State group is now looking for funding to researce their new theory that smoking crack helps prevent cancer.

people in the study only think that it will cure Alzheimer 's because they forget they have it. sorry that's not a cure.
I will own it does help pain with cancer. The British did a trial a few years ago with dope and just used the the pain killing part of it and gave it to people with deferent sorts of acute pain, the outcome was 100% pain free in everyone who was given it. it does help a lot of illnesses.
I stopped smoking it years ago after being a heavy dope smoker for about 20years hasn't effected me, huh! what was I saying, sorry, forgot, lost my thought then.

Very informative. I hope the researchers are correct in their findings.

I dont know about the help it gives to alzheimer sufferers but I expect it does give relief to them as the smoking of it helps me when im in pain and down with my S.L.E, so I think more research and goverments been more open minded is definately what is needed. Why should people suffer when they dont need to?

OK,I smoked my share of pot in the past,but the simple plain truth is that pot IS addictive,kids smoke it younger and younger,it makes you space out and forget things,sometimes whatever you are doing when you are doing it,and it makes you paranoid.Every day on the news we hear about a sad alzheimer's victim gone missing.I know the kids think this is funny but it's sad.
Do you really think that a person who doesn't remember who they are or who you are needs further assistance not remembering that they don't remember? Pull your heads out of your asses.
Ever seen the elderly drive?Now put being high on top of that.
Trust me,you can get so stoned that you forget that you are stoned,and go run over people.
Yes it helps pain,but ONLY house ridden people should use it for that affect.Most of you just want to use it as an excuse.The TRUTH is that no.1 addiction is nicotine,no.2 is crack,no.3 THC.
Stop lying to yourself

Interesting study.

But tell me this, if Cannabis has all these healthy attributes why give the power to distribute it to the pharmaceutical companies?
Don't they already make enough money price jacking prescription drugs?

Why can't the everyday citizen grow this wonderful herb?
I can tell you why, its because ANYONE can grow weed, thus making it impossible to tax. So for the government to get its tax dollars, the only way to distribute it is via medical marijuana...

Sadly to say so many people smoke weed, that by the time you bust one, three more will emerge..

If you ask me, it should be legalized indefinably.

Hell yeah!!! Legal - don't penalize.

Honestly, I don't think it's the Federal Government holding back on legalization, I think it's the pharmaceutical industry, paying the government off NOT to legalize.

I was kidding.I don't know why the slash marks are there,think it's something to do with Triond.My keyboard has been acting goofy all night,and I get brain dead after staring at the screen too long.

Yeah,I read about it! Regardless of the research I felt like it was an article worth reading. Much props!

Very good article! I agree that weed has been getting a bad rap. I am shocked at the underhanded tactics that were used to make it illegal in the U.S. in the first place.

So try right on... IT also helps People with Cancer it also helps with your eyes I know that I had a signatism and Poof ALl gone HUmmmmm.... They need to make it to where people can use whats on this earth I mean come on.... Great by the way ANgel

i use it, ive broken every bone in my body, they want me to take there drugs that they sell to make me feel better, ok the marijuana works just fine and it costs me a lot less money!!

Some of you seem like you didn't even read the post. It's thought to prevent or delay Alzheimer's, not treat it. The medicine derived from THC would not have the high-producing effects of smoking weed. A lot of these comments seem motivated by fear and ignorance rather than knowledge. Anyone who argues for the continued criminalization of marijuana should also argue the same for alcohol.

Ok, the article is a bit misleading. It is correct in saying that THC has been shown to slow down the progression of Alzhiemer's Disease. But from the research I've seen, its not because it fights inflammation.
The biggest known marker for AD is the presence of amyloid plaques around the synapses in the brain. THC can competitively inhibit the amyloid peptides which create the plaque. It will not cure AD, and very little has been done to show its effect on improving memory or cognition. Its all very early research.

Anyone who opposes the legalisation of cannabis, should watch Run From The Cure - The Rick Simpson story. It tells you how this old man from canada has been curing people with cancer, among many other conditions with an oil he extracts from the hrmp plants...not the hemp seeds i may add. The authorities don't want cannabis legalised as it's a huge threat to the petr-chemical and medical industries financially. Not only does cannabis have countless medical benefits, it's also hugely beneficial for the environment. biodegradable plastics, biodegradable oil, paper, fibre for clothing the list goes on. Cannabis' biggest danger is to corporate america and the rest of the corporate world, where sick people with their own agenda have been poisoning the people of the world for profit. They know the benefits of cannabis and so does millions of other people. Stand up and be counted, don't allow them to control your health any longer

The combustion of any material, whether it be marijuana, tobacco, wood or octane has always contained particles that aren't "good for you". So, the argument that I've heard that pot smoke has X-number of "bad" things can be made regarding your neighbor's BBQ pit as easily as tobacco smoke or car exhaust. We can all agree that smoking anything will always carry some type of risk. Now, for the "Reefer Madness" crowd that has been programmed by the government, devoid of substantive evidence for this conditioning, there is more evidence to suggest that the beneficial effects of pot and many other naturally-occurring herbs outweigh the hype driven by the government. Dr. Donald Tashkin, a UCLA pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years, released a study last year that not only shows no link from marijuana to lung cancer, but also suggests a "protective" effect. That's not just relief of pain or symptoms. As for the fearful's claims of a "world of crazies" if it is legalized, understand that the same people smoking pot today will be the same people smoking pot tomorrow if it was legalized today. The argument that Dow Chemical was involved with the criminalization of pot doesn't wash either. Pot was made illegal to keep the migrant workers from Mexico "in their place" in the early 1900's. The final aspect that seems to hit me between the eyes is a question: How arrogant does man have to be in order to criminalize a plant that, left unattended, would grow all by itself?

Yes they said that you have to have a license to carry pot--and to get the license you had to bring the pot to the courthouse--but if you were caught carrying the pot to the courthouse to get teh licenns--without the license they would arrest you!! It was a trick!!! our Government is so self serving--They just wanted to keep the workers from Mexico ---in Mexico--tehn they started with the propaganda about how people become Psychotic when they use MArajuana----Oh give me a break--Maybe less ambitious--but definately not psychotic! good article--

So, weed helps memor in the long run. It still destroys your memory in the short run. Ya'll know what I'm talking about.

Great article! I have taken all kinds of antidepressants and they made me forget everything. Heck I could not even drive a car taking prescription antidepressants. I could not even remember what I ate that morning. Now I have a prescription for Cannabis and I remember things I have forgotten. To say that it makes ya crazy, without it I would be crazy. It also helps with Migraines, GERD, Pain,IBS... so many health problems. It should be legal everywhere. You do not have to smoke it you can Vaporize or eat it.

\"A load of crap by liberal scientists? I have to call BS on OSU\'s researchers and question the credentials of the people conducting the study\"
So what gives YOU the credentials to \"call bs\"? The OJ Simpson defense -if you can\'t disprove the evidence then just fault those who gathered it.

\"Yes it helps pain,but ONLY house ridden people should use it for that affect.Most of you just want to use it as an excuse.The TRUTH is that no.1 addiction is nicotine,no.2 is crack,no.3 THC.\"

So what should people use for pain? Prescription drugs that kill your liver and stomach lining? Your classification of the addictivenes of drugs is extremely laughable, where are the opiates in your classification? Ya I guess you are right thc is way more addicting than heroin or meth, or for that matter oxycontin, which is addictive, approved by the fda and is proven to make you deaf with prolonged use.
Do some research and quit writing from the hip.
And you do understand that the only reason the pharmaceutical giants aren\'t selling weed straight off the plant, is because you cannot patent a plant, therefore they have to develop a compound \"with similar qualities\" which is patentable and hence monopolize the market.
Why people want to demonize a person\'s right to live without pain, you really would rather see a person in agony than give up your archaic propaganda against a naturally occurring medicine.
Sad

""The real truth is that for many years scientists have been unable to classify weed in a specific category,uppers,downers and all arounders as they say.It affects every individual differently.I\\\'ve waked and baked many times.""

Good job genius, so you can't classify Ritalin either? It makes a hyper person calm, yet a calm person hyper. Every type of drug reacts to individual body chemistry differently, marijuana is no different, this does not mean it is without classification.
The actual classification is hallucinogen.
Maybe you need to look harder if you wan't to find the real truth. Or maybe you misplaced THE REAL TRUTH when you waked and baked.

My mother smokes pot and has done for almost 40 years. She forgets nothing and learns things so fast. She reckons it keeps you young too and has started to refer to it as her botox alternative. She's angry that it's criminal for her to smoke it but the action of injecting someone's face with sausage poison is a legal activity.

good article..

The more pot the better I say.

great article, but pot makes me forget everything... haha.

Great article.

Great article, and some really good points of view out there. Another one of the main reasons it was outlawed was to keep "black men from raping white women." All of the reasons for its original illegalization are bogus, bigotus and just plain ignorant; and for some damn reason its still illegal. At least there's hope for de-criminalization with Obama coming in, it wont be legal, but at least you're wont get penalties deserving of a rapist or murderer. It helps me, if I need to focus on something I take a puff and its like ADD medication, and I get stuff done. The only downside I've found is relaying speech, I can think it well, but it doesn't come out right.

Ralph made a comment earlier so I thought your readers deserved to know a bit about the man behind the words. If anyone is curious, search for Ralph Brandt Liar. You will find out just how much of a nutjob he is. Lately he is claiming that Obama is a muslim sent by the devil, but there are plenty of other crazy things coming out of this crazy old man's mouth.

I agree Yesterday I forgot a phone number I smoked one and I remembered the Number I had forgotten about .

: )

Marijuana smokes are often used (legally or illegally procured is not point) by AIDS patients to induce appetite, which is typically non-existent with their disease. This causes them to want to eat, which is imperative to maintaining their strength despite their declining health. Staying alive, every day by whatever means necessary, is the goal.

Curiously, Ithaca NY and Cornell University scientist whose regale includes astronomer, astrochemist and author, the late Carl Sagan was a 'secret stoner' whom often posted under an alias, admitted that he used to 'take a toke' and some of his best scientific work would occur from that. Once, in the SHOWER after a toke of MJ, he has an insight of some import, and began to scribe scientific notes on the shower wall with the bar of soap in his hand... the formula became something important later on when he transcribed to paper and refined the though (and I do not recall what insight this was of or about..)

Dr. Sagan holds a special place for me in my heart. I met him once at the University of Buffalo at a conference held there. And, he passed away exactly one year to the day after my mom, Dec. 20th, 1996. I remembered upon hearing the news, -I must tell my mom! Then I realized, -she already knew... :-(

My biggest 'loathe' of people using marijuana comes from the sterotypical 'Cheech & Chong' duo (atlhough, these guys were hilarious and highly likeable, there is an undercurrent of sterotype there with their characters.) When I learned that Dr. Sagan 'used'... -my convictions were challenged. Now, I'm not so sure that I know the facts anymore so when I hear or read of a study to the effects... it gains my attention.

-thestickman

Quite interesting. Maybe it has the opposite effect (memory compromise) in people prone to Alzheimers than it does in others, like some medications for ADHD. Nevertheless, for most people it does have significant negative effects on short term memory and affects motivation and energy level. It does seem to have a beneficial effect on many forms of anxiety and anger and these emotions can wreck havoc on the body. Still, one should be cautious about the meaning of these research findings. What comes to my mind is that, whether or not there is a beneficial effect or prevention of memory loss; while using marijuana, one is less likely to care.

id like to point out that the technology to vapourise cannabis is cheap (i got one for £6) and freely available to anyone who can use the Internet or find a head shop, this heats the cannabis to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the active cannabinoids without combustion of the plant itself, this method insures that no smoke is produced and no harm is done to the lungs whatsoever, the argument that we always hear about how harmful it is to the lungs is kind of skewed, of course its going to cause harm if you consume it in this dangerous manner...harm to the lungs by cannabis is based on the users choice whether to use a smoke free method of consumption or not; cannabis isnt damaging peoples lungs...people are damaging their own lungs by consuming cannabis in an unhealthy way rather than vaporising it.

I would like to ask the folks who were ranting on about people with Alzheimers being stoned that the findings suggested that cannabis may protect against Alzheimers in the future, it was not touted as a cure in response to contracting Alzheimers.
i use cannabis medically, i am also stoned right this minute and i seem to remember more details of this article than some of the flamers did, lol!

I would also ask anyone against the medical use of cannabis to spend a few nights in a terminal cancer ward with folks throwing up from the chemo and morphine and still in agony because they\\\'ve developed massive opiate tolerances or they\\\'ve had to choose between taking nauseating opiate painkillers or keeping a meal down.
my fiance lives in America and is too scared by the Draconian laws that are in place to use cannabis but without it she is an absolute physical wreck with chronic extremely painful conditions and opiates dont work with her they just make her puke.

i know so many people with the same story, its utterly preposterous that a plant has been made illegal in the first place, and its an outrageous invasion of our personal rights and freedoms to tell us what we can and cant smoke, its no ones business what folks do in their own homes as long as they harm no one else, Ive never seen a stoned person harm anyone else BECAUSE they were stoned, but in my area at pub closing time youre risking your neck just stepping out of the door, all the cars on our street get regularly smashed up by Friday night drinkers, you can even watch them doing it, not to mention that something like 70% of all night time hospital admissions are alcohol related, alcohol is even killing my uncle right now...he has only months to live, if hed been a pot head he wouldnt be dying at 40.

i wont say that weed doesnt carry certain risks with it, but its up to the individual to decide if they wish to take on board those risks, whatever they decide to do is no ones business but their own, the same way people drink, smoke and eat fast food...all worse than weed but i dont see them being put in prison for their personal health choices...because its common f in sense that its their business.