By Lanny Swerdlow, RN, LNC
Far from causing any harm, the ingestion of supplemental cannabinoids from cannabis is essential to maintaining good brain health—especially as we get older. This bold statement has been validated by several new studies demonstrating the unique ability of cannabinoids to protect nerve cells from aging, prevent their death and to actually facilitate neurogenesis—the creation of new brain cells.
Cannabinoids react with the cannabinoid receptors found throughout your body. Receptors are HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecule” o “Molecule”molecules found on the surface of a HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(biology)” o “Cell (biology)”cell, which receive specific chemical signals from neighboring cells or the wider environment within an organism. These signals tell a cell to do something—for example to divide or die, or to allow certain molecules to enter or exit the cell.
A German study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that in mice turning off one of these receptors, the cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1), resulted in symptoms similar to dementia in humans. CB1 is the receptor that when stimulated by cannabinoids, produces euphoria.
The study found that when this receptor did not function, the mouse brains aged “rapidly” showing signs of dementia as well as diminished learning and memory abilities. These symptoms worsened as the mice aged.
Önder Albayram, principal author of the study, stated that “This means that the CB1 signal system has a protective effect for nerve cells.”
And that means if the CB1 receptor doesn’t get any cannabinoids, its signal system will not work. If the signal system does not work, nerve cells are endangered. Give it some cannabinoids and nerve cell degeneration is slowed significantly.
The use of cannabis to provide supplemental cannabinoids for the CB1 receptors arguably provides a protective mechanism to slow the aging of the nervous system and the brain thereby delaying the onset of dementia, Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders of the elderly.
Dr. Robert Melamede, in his ground-breaking article Harm Reduction—The Cannabis Paradox, reported on studies revealing one of the ways the cannabinoid “signal system” works. Through an unusual process called retrograde transmission, cannabinoids, acting as neurotransmitters, actually diffuse backwards across the area between nerve cells and inhibit neural transmissions.
Inhibiting neural transmission is important as nerve cells can die if they are excessively stimulated. By reducing the level of stimulation, the neuro-protective properties of cannabinoids can prevent cell death.
Not only can the cannabinoids found in cannabis prevent cell death, they can actually promote new cell growth.
A study conducted by Xia Zhang, M.D, Ph.D., at the University of Saskatchewan and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation discovered that the ability of cannabinoids to reduce anxiety and depression is related to its ability to promote neurogenesis—the growth of new brain cells. This is the opposite of alcohol, nicotine, opiates and cocaine which actually suppress neurogenesis.
In the study, rats were given a powerful synthetic cannabinoid either in a single injection or twice-daily injections over a two-week period.
The long-term high dose administration of cannabinoids generated new neurons and these new brain cells were integrated into the circuitry of the hippocampus region of the brain—the region associated with consolidation of information from HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-term_memory” o “Short-term memory”short-term memory to HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_memory” o “Long-term memory”long-term memory and spatial HYPERLINK “http://readerfeedback.labs.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Navigation&action=edit&redlink=1” o “Navigation (page does not exist)”navigation. This did not happen in the rats given a single injection.
In other words, low doses of cannabinoids do not reduce anxiety and depression because they do not promote neurogenesis. High doses are required for neurogenesis to occur and its consequential benefits.
The generation of new brain cells continued even after the injections of cannabinoids ended. Further, the report did not note any negative consequences to the rats from the long-term administration of high doses of cannabinoids—no increase in death, no increase in bizarre behavior, nothing but less anxiety and depression.
It is the long-term, high dose ingestion of cannabinoids, like those found in cannabis, that provide protection to the nervous system, stimulate the production of new brain cells, reduce anxiety and depression, and delay and even prevent the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Still, you shouldn’t Bogart that joint.
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