Issue 10 - Cannabis for Parkinson's

Author

Leonard Landers
November 14, 2024

BudMed Bulletin for 14 November 2024

How Medical Cannabis Could Transform Parkinson's Management

What is Parkinson's disease (PD)? PD is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately thedopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra.

Symptoms

  • Tremor, mainly at rest and described as pill rolling tremor in hands; other forms of tremor are possible

  • Slowness and paucity of movement (called bradykinesia and hypokinesia)

  • Limb stiffness (rigidity)

  • Gait and balance problems (postural instability)

Prevalance, "More than 1 million people in the United States have Parkinson’s disease (PD) and over 90,000 new diagnoses are made every year. "

What does the science say?

Revolutionising Medicine: Unlocking the Body's Own Cannabinoid Secrets for New Treatments. More importantly, modulating the activity of the endocannabinoid system turned out to hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few.

Game Changer for Parkinson's: Cannabinoids Slash Involuntary Movements in Breakthrough Study. In people with Parkinson's disease who experience uncontrolled movements from their medication (levodopa), there's a part of the brain called the globus pallidus which might be too active. When we use cannabis-like substances, they can interact with specific receptors in this brain area, which helps manage the levels of a brain chemical called GABA. This interaction can calm down the over activity and reduce those unwanted movements. In a study where neither the patients nor the doctors knew who was getting the cannabis-like drug nabilone or a placebo, it was found that nabilone really did help in reducing these movements in Parkinson's patients.

Unlocking Hope: Could Cannabinoids Be the Key to Managing Parkinson’s? The above indicates the undoubted therapeutic potential of the modulation of the ECS (endogenous cannabinoid system) in PD. In recent decades, the ECS has attracted considerable interest as a potential therapeutic target for numerous disorders of the nervous system. Since PD is, clinically, a very polymorphic condition with a variety of motor and non-motor manifestations, it is a useful kind of “model” for assessing the multidimensional action of ECS modulators and is an adequate object for studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of their action. Cannabinoids and endocannabinoids hold promise as disease modifiers for the prevention or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Patient testimonies

Meet Larry

Meet Larry. See the effects of cannabis first hand, unedited, on Parkinson's tremor dyskinesia, and voice. Video Link

Meet Garry. 77-Year-Old Coloradian With Parkinson's Does An About Face On Marijuana. Video Link

Sources

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Disclaimer: The content provided in this newsletter by BudMed Bulletin is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or the use of medical cannabis.