Dive Brief:
- Researchers from University of South Florida’s (USF) Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute have uncovered evidence that small amounts of THC, a main component of marijuana, decrease beta-amyloid levels.
- Researchers emphasize that the findings are preliminary and that although THC may be effective in addressing Alzheimer's disease (AD), safety issues need to be explored further. The research was undertaken in mouse models and is still in preclinical stages.
- Researchers at USF are now exploring the benefits of a drug cocktail that includes THC, caffeine, and other natural compounds in a cellular model of AD.
Dive Insight:
In the article published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease (JAD), researchers focused on using THC to reduce the production of beta amyloid, which is found in soluble form in most aging brains. According to the researchers, low doses of THC appear to prevent amyloid-beta aggregation and therefore provide some level of prevention against AD.
At the same time, because the THC levels are low, there is no treatment-associated toxicity, nor memory impairment.