Cannabinoids as a Therapeutic Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Millions of people worldwide suffer from dementia and various forms of neurodegenerative diseases. The most common neurodegenerative disease, as well as the most common cause of dementia, is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). AD in the brain is physiologically characterized by amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of Tau, neuroinflammation, and synaptic loss. These processes all result in progressive cognitive decline in neurological functions such as memory, attention and judgment. As there is no cure nor many viable treatment options in which the benefits outweigh potential side effects, the search for possible treatments options continues. One category of treatments that shows promise are cannabinoids, the most notable of which are cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In this review, I will discuss in vivo and in vitro studies showing positive behavioral, neuroprotective, and neuroregenerative impacts as a result of cannabinoid treatment. These properties of cannabinoids exhibited in the treatment of AD show a lot of promise and thus deserve further research and consideration as a potentially effective therapy.