There are over 200,000 cases of ischemic stroke – damage to the brain from interruption of its blood supply – each year in the United States. According to new research published in the journal Pharmaceuticals, cannabidiol (CBD), a compound found in cannabis, may provide a potential CBD treatment option.
“Cannabis contains the psychoactive component delta⁸-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta⁸-THC), and the non-psychoactive components cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol, and cannabigerol,” states the study’s abstract.
“It is well-known that delta⁸-THC and other cannabinoid CB₁ receptor agonists are neuroprotective during global and focal ischemic injury. Additionally, delta⁸-THC also mediates psychological effects through the activation of the CB₁ receptor in the central nervous system.”
In addition to the CB₁ receptor agonists, cannabis also “contains therapeutically active components which are CB₁ receptor independent. Of the CB₁ receptor-independent cannabis, the most important is CBD. In the past five years, an increasing number of publications have focused on the discovery of the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective effects of CBD.”
In particular, the study notes, “CBD exerts positive pharmacological effects in ischemic stroke and other chronic diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.”
In examining past literature, the study determined that “The cerebroprotective action of CBD is CB₁ receptor-independent, long-lasting, and has potent anti-oxidant activity.”
Importantly, researchers note, “CBD treatment does not lead to tolerance.”
The full study, conducted by researchers at Fukuoka University in Japan, can be found by clicking here.
According to a study published last year in the Journal of Neurochemistry, activation of the cannabinoid receptors – something done naturally by cannabis and cannabinoids – may protect neurons and greatly improve motor recovery during an ischemic stroke.
That study was released just a couple months after a study in the journal Life Science which found that cannabinoids “attenuates damage and improves memory retention following” a stroke.
CBD treatment options seem to be a viable option for those affected with ischemic strokes.
