Maximum Yield Cannabis USA December 2017 / January 2018 | Page 51

One of the first scientists to study the
effects of cannabis on TBI was none
other than Dr. Raphael Mechoulam,
who is largely credited for being the
first person to isolate THC, CBD, and
other cannabinoids as far back as the
1960s. Mechoulam first published his
research on TBI in 2007 in a paper called
“Endocannabinoids and Traumatic
Brain Injury.“ The study found mice that
suffered from a serious brain injury had
higher levels of an endocannabinoid
known as 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-Ag).
This endocannabinoid naturally
occurs in the body and is mainly found
in the central nervous system. What
Mechoulam and his team discovered was
2-Ag is a natural defense against brain
swelling as it is anti-inflammatory by
nature. The problem is that the body does
not produce enough of it to be effective
in accelerating healing. The study
concluded that the endocannabinoid
system and cannabinoids work as
a neuroprotectant when the brain is
exposed to trauma, and that the full
benefit of the endocannabinoid system
as it pertains to its regenerative
and anti-inflammatory properties
can be achieved by supplementing
cannabinoids in TBI patients.
“ STUDIES are finding that cannabis,
with its ability to treat multiple symptoms,
is proving to be an extremely effective
treatment for patients suffering from TBI.”
The evidence points in only one
direction: that there is an inescap-
able relationship between cannabis,
the endocannabinoid system, and the
brain’s ability to heal itself.
Cory Hughes is a former police officer
turned full-time commercial grower in
Denver, Colorado. 
CTE
Unlike TBI, the neurological effects
of CTE are brought about over time
instead of from one traumatic event. It
was first discovered in football players
and other professional athletes exposed
to repeated head trauma. Brain tissue
exposed to numerous impacts over time
eventually dies and leaves behind a
protein called tau. The buildup of this
protein affects the brain very much like
the plaque buildup found in Alzheimer’s
patients. If untreated, it leads to
memory issues, cognitive dysfunction,
and, in extreme cases, dementia.
With CTE, it is believed that CBD pro-
vides the brain with relief. Cannabidiol
is a heavy anti-inflammatory and, as
previously mentioned, acts as a strong
neuroprotectant. It works to slow the
release and buildup of these excess tau
proteins, thus slowing the advancement
of neurological decay. This is the same
mechanism by which cannabis posi-
tively affects patients suffering from the
symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which is also
caused by excess protein buildup.
Only recently have doctors come to
understand what happens to the brain
during a traumatic injury or after years
of exposure to lesser traumatic events.
Simultaneously, cannabis scientists have
uncovered an encyclopedia of informa-
tion about the benefits that cannabin-
oids like THC and CBD have on the brain.
myhydrolife.com
grow. heal. learn. enjoy.
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