According to a government-funded recent study, CBD showed “promising results” in reducing inflammation and cognitive decline that are associated with ageing.
The University of Lethbridge, McGill University and other researchers studied the effect of CBD on mice that were aging. They tested to determine how CBD could affect memory, coordination, and motor control.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded the study and it was published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. [perirhinal cortex] Memory functions that are centered on spatial orientation [hippocampus].”
Authors wrote that brain pathology tests showed the CBD-treated mice showed reduced inflammation in specific regions of their brains, like the hippocampus. This region is crucial for memory and learning. Inflammation of these regions has been linked in past studies to dementia, including age-related conditions.
CBD reduces inflammation in the brain, and can improve cognitive decline due to aging.
For the study, the scientists used 19 mice—10 of which received cannabidiol and nine that were given a placebo daily over the course of seven months. The mice underwent a variety of tests throughout the study, such as a task that assessed visual memory and motor control, “fear conditioning”, and a task for “new object recognition”.
The results showed that mice aged over 50 treated with CBD performed better on tests. [novel object recognition] You can also find out more about the following: [spacial learning]It is suggested that CBD therapy has an impact on memory functions mediated by the [perirhinal cortex] According to the research, spatial memory function is affected by age.
The authors stated that “the findings of this research show that CBD can target inflammatory reactions in the brain, and improve cognitive decline that is associated with ageing,” adding that “it’s possible that CBD treatment effects can be increased if an extraction with THC or terpenoids are used.”
The oral CBD treatment can help improve the memory of those who are aging.
Relatedly, another recent study that received federal funding found that cannabis users have “superior performance across multiple cognitive domains,” with the effects of cannabis on cognition “presented concurrently across a range of brain systems.”
A study conducted last year showed that cannabis use was associated with a lower risk of subjective cognitive degeneration (SCD). People who used marijuana for medical or recreational purposes reported less confusion and memory problems compared with non-users.
Researchers in 2023 examined marijuana’s neurocognitive effects and found that “prescribed medical cannabis may have minimal acute impact on cognitive function among patients with chronic health conditions.”
Studies have shown that some of the fears surrounding cannabis are unfounded.
A report published in April that drew on dispensary data, for instance, found that cancer patients reported being able to think more clearly when using medical marijuana. The patients also reported that it was helpful in managing pain.
A separate study of teens and young adults at risk of developing psychotic disorders found that regular marijuana use over a two-year period did not trigger early onset of psychosis symptoms—contrary to the claims of prohibitionists who argue that cannabis causes mental illness. It was actually associated with modest improvement in cognitive function and a reduction of the use of other medication.
Yet another study published by the American Medical Association (AMA) last year that looked at data from more than 63 million health insurance beneficiaries determined that there’s “no statistically significant increase” in psychosis-related diagnoses in states that have legalized marijuana compared to those that continue to criminalize cannabis.
Studies from 2018, meanwhile, found that marijuana may actually increase working memory and that cannabis use doesn’t actually change the structure of the brain.