The Use of Medical Cannabis for Parkinson's Disease

The Use of Medical Cannabis for Parkinson’s Disease

Posted December 2, 2016

Although the FDA has not found that Marijuana is safe or effective for treating any health problems, many people with Parkinson’s feel differently.

For over 3000 years, Cannabis (Marijuana) has been used for a variety of health conditions across the globe. Recently, voters and legislators have led to the legalization of Marijuana in many states – for medicinal and recreational use.

The National Parkinson Foundation found a rise in research enthusiasm following an increase in Parkinson’s subject (PD) self-reporting, with many claiming Marijuana reduced tremors. Some researchers believe in Marijuana’s possible neuroprotective power – saving neurons from damage caused by Parkinson’s.

The drug molecules found in Marijuana have also been linked to treating other symptoms of PD, including Bradykinesia, otherwise known as slowness caused by PD, and Dyskinesia, or increased movement caused by Levodopa (a common antiparkinsonian drug). The effects of Marijuana in PD research show much variance mainly because of research standards and subject participation.

According to the NIH, it is very difficult to study the health benefits of Marijuana due to legal restrictions and the variability in the concentration of the Cannabis plant’s psychoactive chemicals. The quality of research varies by disease, with only two FDA-approved medications in circulation, Dronabinol and Nabilone – both for symptoms of cancer or side effects of cancer therapies.

Further studies of the effects of Marijuana use in PD subjects may benefit from the application of objective measurement using wireless inertial sensors, like the APDM Opal. APDM technology was initially created to study minimally-detectable tremor in PD, and its ability to record over long periods of time and in at-home environments shows promise for researchers interested in Marijuana therapy.