Patient Education ► Patient Education ~
Cannabis for
Alzheimer’ s Disease by Peter Kershaw, contributing writer
Alzheimer’ s Disease( AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder. It begins with the buildup of proteins in the form of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. This results in brain cells dying over time and the brain shrinking. Though AD is a form of dementia, it’ s also far more serious. Dementia in itself isn’ t life-threatening, but AD is and can progress to the point of taking the life of its victim.
AD is considered an old-folks disease, generally not striking until age 65 and older, with 72 % being age 75 and up. Though considered rare,“ early-onset” AD can strike in the 30s. AD often starts with mild symptoms of memory lapses( e. g., forgetting where they’ ve put things, repeating questions, getting lost) and mood and personality changes, such as irritability and aggression. AD often progresses to rendering the patient delusional and bedridden, completely dependent on caregivers.
Approximately seven million Americans have AD, and numbers are expected to more than double by 2050. From 2000 to 2019, deaths due to AD increased by 145 %. On average, a person with Alzheimer’ s lives four to eight years after diagnosis. AD impacts not just the victims but families of the victims who, in 70 % of all cases, become their caregivers. Families suffer physically from caregiving demands, as well as emotionally from witnessing loved ones slowly decline. AD patients often exhibit severe mood swings and can even become antagonistic and belligerent with their caregivers.
There does appear to be a genetic predisposition for dementia. It’ s therefore not unreasonable to assume that Alzheimer’ s runs in the family. So, if you have an immediate relative with AD, you may want to be especially vigilant and proactive. Thankfully, there are steps we can take that may diminish the risks.
A leading cause of AD is believed to be environmental toxins, such as heavy metals. There could very well be direct correlations between the growing AD numbers and the increase in our exposure to environmental toxins. Multiple human autopsy studies going back as early as 1973, 1 and as recently as 2016, 2 confirm large concentrations of aluminum in the brains of those who’ ve died from AD. The obvious question arises: How did the aluminum get there? There are multiple potential sources. Holistic health experts advise we avoid products containing aluminum, such as antiperspirants and antacids. Aluminum cookware( which most“ non-stick” cookware is based on) should also be avoided in favor of cast iron, stainless steel, etc.
Of concern is also the presence of aluminum and other toxins in city drinking water. Nine out of 13 published epidemiological studies on aluminum in city drinking water have shown statistically significant correlations to AD. 3 Aluminum finds its way out of city water treatment facilities because aluminum-based coagulants are used as part of the water treatment process. 4 Even bottled water is often not immune since most are sourced from city water systems, and only around 25 % are labeled as“ purified”( i. e., distilled or reverse osmosis processed). Unfortunately, there are also other toxic chemicals injected into U. S. city water systems, which may increase the risk for AD. Until U. S. water systems ban fluoride and other dangerous chemicals( as 89 % of Western European countries have), homes on city water should invest in a reverse osmosis system( generally affordable at $ 100- $ 250).
Another dangerous neurotoxin is mercury, commonly found in so-called“ silver filling” dental amalgams. A study from Taiwan showed there to be a significant risk of AD to those with amalgam( so-called“ silver”) fillings. 5 If you have amalgams, you’ d be wise to schedule an appointment with a SMART-certified dentist to have them safely replaced with bio-safe composites. 6
Cannabis in the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’ s Disease
Studies show that dysregulation of the Endocannabinoid System( ECS) plays a major role in the onset of AD, and that a healthy ECS plays a significant role in prevention. 7 As we’ ve discussed in relation to other diseases previously, it’ s likely there’ s a direct correlation between the onset of many diseases and Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency. 8 The obvious solution is to supplement with cannabis.
A 2005 study from Madrid concluded that,“ cannabinoid receptors are important in the pathology of AD and cannabinoids succeed
18 January 2026