to the Arthritis Society in order to help foot
the bill for Dr. McDougall’s research.
When the market is bullish on new research,
it’s a good sign for sufferers.
The reality is that cannabinoid receptors play
a crucial role in the regulating the body’s
immune system.
What’s not clear is exactly how they operate.
From a strictly biological perspective, auto-
immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis,
and chronic disorders like osteoarthritis don’t
make much sense.
Why would the body attack itself or be unable
repair such crucial functions, like joint
dexterity? The discovery of cannabinoid
receptors at inflammatory sites may provide
an answer.
Thanks to a litany of previous works in this
arena, McDougall’s team already knows that
cannabis-based medicines act directly on CB2
sites and suppress inflammation and pain by
mediating immune responses at the sites of
inflammation.
This suggests that the body’s reaching out for
molecules to help it reconstruct its vital
elements.
The next step will be to see if changes to the
medicine create different responses in the
body.
If researchers can discover new ways in which
cannabinoid receptors take up or use
medicines, it could open a window of
treatment possibilities. So much of our current
knowledge is in the theoretical sphere, with
most doctors and patients simply thankful for
effective pain treatment—whether it’s
understood or not is a secondary concern.
However, as our knowledge of the body’s
endocannabinoid system grows, and we look
further into the means by which cannabis-
based medicines reduce inflammation and
affect nerves, we’re likely to discover novel
ways of treatment—and possible ways to
reverse the long-lasting joint damage of
arthritis.
While McDougall’s research has yet to be
completed, the results are expected soon.
ehealthdigest.org/2018/10/28/cannabis-
could-be-reversing-damage-to-arthritic-
joints/