Do you want to have stronger bones?

According to a study conducted by researchers from Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University and published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, a compound in marijuana known as cannabidiol (CBD) helps fractures heal faster while making bones stronger than they were before.

Yankel Gabet, one of the study’s researchers, claimed that they discovered “CBD alone makes bones stronger during healing, enhancing the maturation of the collagenous matrix, which provides the basis for new mineralization of bone tissue.”

In addition to this, Gabet claimed, “After being treated with CBD, the healed bone will be harder to break in the future.”

Skeletons have cannabinoid receptors that inhibit bone loss

To test the validity of their hypothesis, the researchers used rats as test subjects for the study. Initially, they inflicted mild femoral fractures on rats, then injected some with CBD and others with CBD plus tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the ingredient that causes the marijuana high). They then evaluated and compared the healing of the two groups of test subjects.

“We found CBD alone to be sufficiently effective in enhancing fracture healing,” Gabet said. “Other studies have also shown CBD to be a safe agent, which leads us to believe we should continue this line of study in clinical trials to assess its usefulness in improving human fracture healing.”

Previously, the same team discovered that the human body contains receptors that respond to cannabinoid compounds and that these receptors are not confined to the brain.

“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,” Gabet said.

This news just confirmed the researchers’ previous findings, which showed that the skeleton contains cannabinoid receptors that stimulate bone formation and inhibit bone loss.

Medical marijuana has multiple health benefits

The research is just one of many studies delving into the medical benefits of marijuana compounds, including CBD. Given the study’s positive results, new research into ways that marijuana could be used to treat osteoporosis or other bone diseases may well be underway.

“While there is still a lot of work to be done to develop appropriate therapies, it is clear that it is possible to detach a clinical therapy objective from the psychoactivity of cannabis. CBD, the principal agent in our study, is primarily anti-inflammatory and has no psychoactivity,” Gabet said.

Aside from strengthening bones, medical marijuana can also lessen chronic pain, reduce side effects of chemotherapy and improve appetite in AIDS patients. It has also shown potential in regulating blood sugar and slowing the progression of HIV, in addition to treating multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Furthermore, a 2013 study in published in Neuropsychopharmacology found that CBD was just as effective as a popular antipsychotic drug in the treatment of schizophrenia and paranoia — minus the dangerous side effects. Other studies have confirmed the effectiveness of CBD as a safe antipsychotic.

While marijuana remains illegal under U.S federal law, CBD may be legally used for research or for limited medical functions in 17 U.S. states. At present, the government still classifies marijuana as having “no currently accepted medical use.” The medical use of marijuana itself, however, is legal in 23 other states.

Sources used:

NaturalNews.com

Science.NaturalNews.com