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Results
Despite the dearth of publications on the topic of marijuana, only one small study met the above criteria but the data were presented in such a poor fashion that the scientists could not extract any meaningful data for analysis.
The single study data was not only insufficient but the results showed no effects of marijuana on individuals with dementia. Analysis of the data found that marijuana did not improve behavior, symptoms of dementia nor did it improve mental performance or cognition. The conclusion was that more randomized double-blind placebo controlled trials are needed to determine whether marijuana is clinically effective in the treatment of dementia.
Conclusion
To date, there is no evidence that cannabinoids are effective in the improvement of altered behavior in dementia or in the treatment of symptoms of dementia. One has to remember that marijuana has been smoked for hundred of years and by millions of individuals. Yet the incidence of dementias has not diminished and in fact, there is a rise in the numbers of people with various dementias. There are many anecdotal case reports indicating that individuals who have smoked marijuana usually tend to develop earlier and more severe brain impairment. Just because a substance mimicking marijuana is found in the brain does not automatically mean that it will have a therapeutic benefit. The brain is complex and we still do not know a lot about the brain- the one thing we do know, however, is that smoking marijuana is not good for general health.
http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD007204/frame.html
Add a Comment5 Comments
There is this general hope that marijuana is good in many mental illnesses but I think we should stick to realism. So far we know that marijuana has positive effects on Alzheimer but it could cause Schizophrenia, we cannot rely on the drug for significant health benefits but I don't consider it a dangerous drug neither. Since it's still illegal I'll just focus on what are legal buds.
April 16, 2010 - 6:43amThis Comment
I wonder if the outlawing of cannibis coincides with the increase in dementia cases? Seems to me helth care is in a shambles and that all our medicines are derived from testing on rats? S.B, if you believe marijuana has no place in clinical medicine, why is that? You probably would have thought that about opium if it hadn't been proved otherwise. Just because you get high doesn't make it bad.Maybe you should open your mind instead of a book? Thanks Yogi Bear
December 16, 2009 - 8:27pmThis Comment
More good information
October 25, 2009 - 3:13pmby Susan Berg author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful, Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals, a book for those with dementia and an excellent resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals
http://dementiaviews.blogspot.com
This Comment
if physicians started to treat patients based on assumptions derived from rats, health care would be in shambles. Perhaps you should brush up your reading skills and read what the latest literature on aspirin is saying. Finally, Marijuana has no use in clinical medicine. SB
October 2, 2009 - 6:35amThis Comment
Why don't you refer to the research and let people draw their own conclusions. Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease are caused by inflammation of the brain. Marijuana reduces inflammation. If you read the research and read between the lines the researchers at Ohio State University practically say that if dementia or Alzheimer's runs in your family and you are over 50 you should be taking a hit of marijuana a day to prevent those diseases, much as people over 50 with a history of heart disease or stroke in their family should be taking a baby aspirin daily to prevent heart attack or stroke. This right from the Ohio State University web page:
"“Could people smoke marijuana to prevent Alzheimer’s disease if the disease is in their family? We’re not saying that, but it might actually work." - Gary L. Wenk, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience & Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics at the Ohio State University and Medical Center, is a leading authority on the consequences of chronic brain inflammation and animal models of Alzheimer's disease.
September 22, 2009 - 5:43pmThis Comment