I would point you to
@Alafornia's post
here on what worked for his mother, which was working her way to to high doses of CBD (full extract). I haven't heard anything about THC being used for dementia, though is has been tested on lots of other diseases.
Yeah I would have suggested
@Alafornia for that question as well
Thanks to both of you. It's still early here and I've been quite tired of late, so my answer will be a little short and leave out a lot.
My dad passed away a few years ago from Alzheimer's. My mom has it now. She is taking CBD only because the Alaban (my term for the nuts in AL that keep this plant and its components illegal) has not allowed THC over the levels found in federally legalized hemp. I wish I had known about this plant's benefits for my dad (huge regret of my ignorance). I wish my mom had legal access to THC. If she did, I'd make sure she got some in modest amounts in addition to the CBD.
Some of the best most recent research shows both CBD and THC to have great potential in dementia, both in treating some symptoms (like agitation and poor appetite) and in treating the actual disease (helping rid the brain of damaging proteins, plaques, and inflammation).
Below is a linked article with supporting and additional information. It seems THC acts to calm the brain in older adults. In the experiments that are the focus of this article older mice given small amounts of THC (not even enough to get them high) did better on cognitive tests. They were more social. They showed fewer behavioral issues. They were actually smarter than the control mice (who did not receive THC).
This whole pandemic deal (along with other craziness in life) has me knocked off balance. I hope there are soon some changes in all needed areas so I can refocus more attention on other areas like this.
Before posting a link to the article, I'll also say that because of the research funding ban and the general ban on research involving cannabis until recently (save for studies designed to show negative effects) that this research is in its infancy. The early results show promise, though, and reveal the criminality of keeping this plant illegal.
Now for the link:
Slightly stoned mice show marijuana may fight age-related memory loss, such as alzheimer's and dementia.
www.discovermagazine.com
Limited data due to limited study due to government prohibition, so take with a small grain of salt. Even if all THC does is help with symptoms - and thereby improve quality of life - I'd say that many people could find benefit from THC for both dementia patients and their caregivers. If it actually
improves brain functions then it's a (pardon the pun) a no-brainer as it would be the
only drug to do that and if it does it for an extended period of time that would also beat any drug on the market (like namenda and aricept, whose limited benefit generally do not last for long).
Based on anecdotal evidence combined with emerging research I believe that in the future we will have much more evidence of the benefit of cannabinoids in treating dementia patients both in slowing (perhaps stopping?!) the disease and diminishing the terrible symptoms of the disease.
Some wise-ass just said "If this is the short version..." and they're right! There is a fair amount more information than this already and I'm excited for what is to come from future research.
I'm interested in the entourage effects and combining strains to increase the cannabinoid profile of cannabis oils for these purposes (IOW, not just CBD vs THC or both). Anecdotally I've found that mixing strains increases the ability of small doses for treating pain, for instance. I'm also interested in the acid versions' (undecarboxylated cannabinoids) anti inflammatory and other effects. So much still to be learned!
The wonderful thing is that where it's legal there is the opportunity to experiment - to give it a try - to try higher CBD and higher THC or both.
Yeah, let's keep it short, though.
for the great info fornia!