Earlier this week, it was reported that medical marijuana is demonstrably saving lives, if only through preventing overdoses of opiates.
While much of the research surrounding the benefits of medical marijuana is still in its infancy, newly published studies from Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University show that cannabis may be promising for healing broken bones.
The study, which so far has only been done on rats, shows that cannabis oil shows progress in “significantly” healing bone fractures after just eight weeks. For people who like getting high, though, this news is mixed. It appears that cannabis works a lot better when THC, the part of marijuana that gets you high, is taken out. The benefits are from cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), which is a powerful anti-inflammatory but has no psychoactive effects.
Researchers believe that this is also promising for osteoporosis and other bone maladies. Interestingly, it seems that we evolved to respond to cannabis. Our bodies have cannabis receptors that help in healing.
According to Dr. Gabet, our bodies are equipped with a cannabinoid system, which regulates both vital and non-vital systems. “We only respond to cannabis because we are built with intrinsic compounds and receptors that can also be activated by compounds in the cannabis plant,” he said. The researchers found that the skeleton itself is regulated by cannabinoids. Even the addition of a non-psychogenic compound acting outside of the brain can affect the skeleton.
Source: Science Daily
Not only does it help with healing, it appears that it actually makes the bones stronger after they’re healed, unlike traditional time and cast healing methods.
Currently, almost half the nation (23 states and Washington, D.C.) have legalized medical marijuana, although the restrictions vary tremendously. It will probably be a log time before any state approves it for broken bones. Hopefully by then, marijuana will be legal throughout the country.
Featured image via Wikimedia.
