Marijuana Compound Found Superior To Drugs For AlzheimersSayer Ji, Contributor Researchers discovered that the psychoactive component of marijuana, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), both competitively inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as prevents AChE-induced amyloid -peptide (A) aggregation. On the first account, THCs ability to inhibit the AChE enzyme, is not unlike the mechanism of action behind most Alzheimers drugs on the market today. Drugs like donepezil (trade name Aricept), for instance, by targeting and inhibiting the brain enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), result in an increase in brain levels of this neurotransmitter, which in turn, results in symptom reduction, i.e. improved memory. Donepezil, however, is riddled with controversy due its well-known association with seizures, which likely reflects its intrinsic neurotoxicity. It is, in fact, a chemical in the same general chemical class as venom, insecticides and chemical war agents, such as nerve gas. What is so encouraging about this research, and which the researchers described as noteworthy, is the following: THC is a considerably more effective inhibitor of AChE-induced A deposition than the approved drugs for Alzheimers disease treatment, donepezil and tacrine, which reduced A aggregation by only 22% and 7%, respectively, at twice the concentration used in our studies.7 Therefore, AChE inhibitors such as THC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic for Alzheimers disease, augmenting acetylcholine levels by preventing neurotransmitter degradation and reducing A aggregation, thereby simultaneously treating both the symptoms and progression of Alzheimers disease. THC, of course, is only one of a wide range of cannabinoids in the plant marijuana. Not only is there already plentiful information on the neuroprotective properties of marijuana compounds, but there is also a sizeable body of clinical and/or biomedical research indicating the medicinal value of this plant in over 150 health conditions. To view this research visit our Medical Marijuana Research page. Notes: You can support this information by voting on Reddit HERE linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 