Maximum Yield Cannabis USA December 2017 / January 2018 | Page 50

heal
HEALING
WITH CANNABIS
Cory Hughes
by
Treating brain injuries with cannabis is a
somewhat controversial practice, but there
is a growing body of evidence that it
could actually help repair the damage.
O
ne of the more controversial medical cannabis
applications is its use in treating traumatic brain
injuries (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy
(CTE). However, studies on TBI have shown that the
endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in the brain’s
ability to repair damage. This system, which spans the
entire body and plays an important role in maintaining our
day-to-day health, is designed to maintain homeostasis
between a stable internal environment and an unstable
external environment. As a result, cannabinoids are
essential to maintaining this homeostasis.
TBI
Traumatic brain injuries usually result from
a single, harsh blow to the head. They can
happen in a car crash or other form of critical
event. Besides the initial injury, TBI can lead
to inflammation in the brain, damage to
blood vessels, nervous system damage, and
interference with processing sensory data.
For minor TBIs, many patients have no other
solution than over-the-counter pain killers. For
more serious cases, additional oxygen may be
required to overcome imbalances in the blood.
However, 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.
Cannabis has already demonstrated its
usefulness as an anti-inflammatory. One of
hardest aspects of TBI to overcome is brain
swelling due to fluid and pressure buildup.
Often, brain injuries this severe require surgery
to relieve the pressure. However, the introduction
of cannabinoids, specifically THC and CBD,
into the brain has been shown to drastically
reduce swelling and allow for normal blood
flow. When Cb1 and Cb2 receptors are activated,
they stimulate the release of minocycline, which
reduces neural swelling and helps to mitigate the
damage caused by the injury. These results have
been confirmed on studies on both mice and pigs.
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