14 DAY TRIAL // A series of experiments carried out on mice have shown that marijuana could prove efficient in preventing trauma-induced brain damage.
The experiments were carried out by a team of researchers working with the Tel Aviv University, and revolved around injecting several rodents with fairly small doses of THC, otherwise known as tetrahydrocannabinol, i.e. the psychoactive component of marijuana.
Some of the mice had been injected 1 to 7 days before injury, while others got their dose of THC 1 to 3 days after suffering brain trauma, sources say.
The researchers say that, although the THC doses these mice were exposed to were somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times lower that the ones contained in a regular marijuana cigarette, the rodents showed signs of having an easier time coping with the brain trauma they had sustained.
When compared to the control group, the mice injected with THC were found to have better results when made to learn new things and perform memory tests.
When looking into the make-up of these rodents' brains, the researchers discovered that the mice exposed to said psychoactive component in marijuana had higher levels of certain neuroprotective chemicals, which the researchers believe kept their brains safe.
The University of Tel Aviv researchers now say that the information collected while carrying out these experiments suggests that THC, and by extension marijuana, might help protect the brain against long-term cognitive damage.
They further detail on their findings and explain that, regardless of whether the brain damage was caused by hypoxia (i.e. lack of oxygen), seizures or toxic drugs, THC could prove equally efficient in preventing it.
What's more, they believe that at some point in the not so distant future, THC could be used not only to prevent brain damage, but also to treat it.
Presently, marijuana is widely regarded as no more and no less than a recreational drug.
However, several other studies have shown that it can treat conditions such as lack of appetite, insomnia and chronic pain associated with conditions such as cancer.