The Latest in Cannabis Research

With the shift of societal attitudes towards cannabis and renewed interest from the scientific community, humanity is finally starting to uncover the plant’s impressive potential health and wellness-promoting effects. The past year of 2018 and the first few months of 2019 have yielded more findings, elucidating the unique ability of cannabis to combat a range of conditions that appear intractable to conventional medicine. Marijuana is shown to have a role in countering mood disorders, like anxiety, and there is also evidence that it may combat chronic pain and help in the management of neurological conditions.

So what is the latest in cannabis research? Let’s take a look.

Cannabis-Derived Compounds May Inhibit The Development Of Schizophrenia

One of the most exciting recent developments in the science of cannabis is the discovery that it may be able to inhibit certain processes in the etiology of schizophrenia in animal models. A popular theory suggests that the development of schizophrenia can be traced back to exposure to toxins early on in life which leads to schizophrenia-promoting changes in the brain and symptoms later in life.

Although the science is new, there is now compelling evidence to suggest that CBD or cannabidiol (an active component of cannabis) may help to alleviate the damaging effect of these toxins on the brain and improve symptoms in schizophrenia patients. CBD appears to interact with the body’s cannabinoid system to regulate brain function and restore balance. Researchers think that the activation of these brain networks is dysregulated in cases of schizophrenia, and so CBD may be a novel, plant-derived chemical that acts on the system to bring it back into the normal range.

Although the ability of CBD to may help manage schizophrenia-related symptoms is exciting news in itself, 2018 also saw the emergence of further evidence to suggest that CBD may also have the capacity to prevent symptoms from developing in the first place. Researchers in Europe, for instance, investigated whether CBD could prevent the development of schizophrenia in mice exposed to schizophrenia-causing chemicals. Mice were exposed to a neurotoxin while they were young and then split into two groups. One group received their regular diet, and the other was fed the standard diet along with CBD for 20 days following exposure to the toxin. The researchers found that the mice fed CBD developed schizophrenia-related symptoms at a much lower rate than those who weren’t, suggesting that CBD, at least in mouse models, can prevent the development of schizophrenia later on in life.

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Cannabis May Enhance Working Memory Performance

There is already substantial evidence that greens (like kale, cabbage, and broccoli) can enhance cognitive function. But until recently, scientists did not appreciate that cannabis, as a leafy green, might have the same effect. Scientists reporting in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory tested whether exposure to marijuana improved the working memory of rats. Rats were exposed to cannabis smoke and then put through a series of tests (rewarded with food) to see whether their cognition improved before and after exposure. Female rats exposed to cannabis appeared to have better working memory than those exposed to placebo smoke (smoke that did not contain any active cannabis compounds). The researchers concluded, therefore, that it was the cannabis compounds themselves that conferred the benefits.

Cannabis May Protect The Stomach From Alcohol

Researchers have known for several decades that cultures which consume more alcohol tend to experience higher rates of gastritis. Although scientists aren’t clear on exactly why this is the case, the suspicion is that breakdown products from alcohol damage the lining of the stomach causing a buildup of inflammation. Gastritis is a painful condition which can have serious long-term consequences on digestion and overall quality of life.

Researchers performed a retrospective study on patients hospitalized for alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. They collected data on all patients and compared outcomes for those who used cannabis to those that didn’t. They found that those who did use the plant had a 25 percent lower rate of the condition, suggesting that marijuana might have a protective effect.

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