From: 23x11.5c@gmail.com   
      
   Neurodegenerative Disease and Medical Marijuana   
       
   Arielle Gerard     
   November 11, 2014	   
      
   What Is Neurodegenerative Disease?   
   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, and in general, to live.   
   When cells of the central nervous system are destroyed and/or not able to   
   communicate with each other efficiently and effectively, symptoms such as   
   cognition and memory impairment, muscle incoordination, weakness, spasticity   
   [i.e. tight muscles and    
   exaggerated reflexes], paralysis [i.e. an inability to move], rigidity [i.e.   
   tight muscles], and more can occur. These symptoms can cause substantial   
   decreases in quality of life for patients, and even death when involving   
   reduction in function of    
   important physiological processes like breathing and heart function.   
   Neurodegenerative disorders are so debilitating partially because neurons are   
   one of the few cell types with a very limited ability to regenerate (along   
   with heart cells and skeletal    
   muscle cells). In most cases, once neurons have been destroyed, they cannot   
   grow back.   
   "If left unchecked 30 years from now, more than 12 million Americans will   
   suffer from neurodegenerative diseases." - Harvard Neurodiscovery Center   
   Examples of neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,   
   Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as "Lou Gehrig's   
   Disease'), spinal muscular atrophy, prion disease, and others. While multiple   
   sclerosis (MS) has been    
   thought to stem primarily from an autoimmune response (one in which the body   
   starts attacking itself), there is mounting evidence that it is a disease   
   caused by a mixture of an autoimmune and primary neurodegeneration process.   
   A significant amount of research on cannabis has been conducted on the plant's   
   potential harms in relation to brain function. However, the evidence suggests   
   that not only are long-term, clinically significant cognitive deficits   
   unlikely if use begins in    
   adulthood, especially in the absence of chronic and excessive use, but   
   cannabinoid medicine may actually prove effective in halting or reversing   
   debilitating neurodegenerative disorders. Note: Cognitive declines as a result   
   of use have generally been    
   conducted using recreational users who self-report frequency of use and smoke   
   marijuana of unknown potency and quality; studying marijuana use with   
   alternative delivery methods (e.g. vaporization, ingestion) and controlled   
   frequency of use with whole-   
   plant cannabis of known ratio/concentration/potency in an adult patient   
   population may yield vastly different results than those  discovered to date   
   which have indicated harm.full_spectrum_tincture   
   According to an article published by the Harvard Neurodiscovery Center, "If   
   left unchecked 30 years from now, more than 12 million Americans will suffer   
   from neurodegenerative diseases." It is therefore imperative that the medical   
   and scientific    
   communities continue to extensively research any and all potentially   
   successful therapies for these disease processes.   
   Cannabinoid Therapy for Neurodegenerative Diseases   
   Extensive research on the impact of endocannabinoid system modulation and its   
   effects on neurodegenerative disorders has occurred in the past several years.   
   In 2014, British Journal of Pharmacology published a review titled "The   
   influence of cannabinoids    
   on generic traits of neurodegeneration", in which the authors concluded the   
   following:   
   "Signalling from the CB1 and CB2 [i.e. cannabinoid] receptors are known to be   
   involved in the regulation of Ca2+ [calcium] homeostasis [i.e. the mechanism   
   by which systems are kept balanced], mitochondrial function [i.e. function of   
   components of cells    
   that produce energy], trophic [i.e. growth] support and inflammatory status...   
   while other receptors gated [i.e. modulated/controlled] by cannabinoids... are   
   gaining interest in their anti-inflammatory properties. Through multiple lines   
   of evidence, this    
   evolutionarily conserved neurosignalling system has shown neuroprotective   
   capabilities and is therefore a potential target for neurodegenerative   
   disorders." While the current article briefly touches on the evidence that   
   exists for the potential of    
   cannabinoid therapy as treatment for neurodegenerative disorders, the BJP   
   article will provide a more extensive overview.   
   "[E]levation of cannabinoid receptor activity either by pharmacological   
   blockade of the degradation of cannabinoids or by receptor agonists could be a   
   promising strategy for slowing down the progression of brain ageing and for   
   alleviating the symptoms of    
   neurodegenerative disorders." - Dr. Andras Bilkei-Gorzo   
   Another review published in 2012 in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal   
   Society (source of the graphic below) discusses that cannabis may exert   
   neuroprotective effects through mitochondrial regulation, anti-inflammatory   
   and antioxidant (i.e. agents    
   that prevent free radical damage) properties, and clearance of damaged cells   
   and molecules in the brain. The author also noted that signaling of the   
   endocannabinoid system (ECS) may decrease as people age, and therefore   
   decreased function of the ECS may    
   be a partial cause for age-related cognitive decline. According to the author,   
   Dr. Andras Bilkei-Gorzo, "[E]levation of cannabinoid receptor activity either   
   by pharmacological blockade of the degradation of cannabinoids [i.e. keeping   
   cannabinoids active    
   and in the brain for a longer amount of time] or by receptor agonists [i.e.   
   receptor activation] could be a promising strategy for slowing down the   
   progression of brain ageing and for alleviating the symptoms of    
   eurodegenerative disorders."   
      
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