Month: August 2017

Netflix is rolling out its own strains of weed.

Netflix is rolling out its own strains of weed.

Those who consume marijuana walk differently than those who don’t, according to a new study published online by the U.S. National Institute of Health.

According to its abstract, the aim of the current study was to “investigate balance and walking gait in adults with a history of cannabis use”. To determine this researchers had cannabis consumers and non-consuming controls complete “screening tests, a gait and balance test (with a motion capture system and in-built force platforms), and a clinical neurological examination of movement.”

Compared to controls, cannabis users “exhibited significantly greater peak angular velocity of the knee (396±30 versus 426±50°/second, P=0.039), greater peak elbow flexion (53±12 versus 57±7°, P=0.038) and elbow range of motion (33±13 versus 36±10°, P=0.044), and reduced shoulder flexion (41±19 versus 26±16°, P=0.007) during walking gait. However, balance and neurological parameters did not significantly differ between the groups.”

In other words, cannabis consumers tended to move their elbows more, but their shoulders less, while swinging their knees in a quicker fashion.

According to researchers; “The results suggest that history of cannabis use is associated with long-lasting changes in open-chain elements of walking gait, but the magnitude of change is not clinically detectable.”

They conclude by stating that “Further research is required to investigate if the subtle gait changes observed in this population become more apparent with aging and increased cannabis use.”

The full study can be found by clicking here.

The post Cannabis Consumers Walk Differently than Non-Consumers, Finds Study appeared first on TheJointBlog.

According to a new study, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), a compound found in cannabis, may be useful in treating neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases.

“While the biological effects of decarboxylated cannabinoids such as Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) have been extensively investigated, the bioactivity of Δ⁹-THCA is largely unknown, despite its occurrence in different Cannabis preparations”, states the study, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. “The aim of this study was to determine whether Δ⁹-THCA modulates the PPARγ pathway and has neuroprotective activity”.

For the study; “The effects of six phytocannabinoids on PPARγ binding and transcriptional activity were investigated. The effect of Δ⁹-THCA on mitochondrial biogenesis and PGC-1α expression was investigated in N2a cells.” The neuroprotective effect “was analysed in STHdh^Q111/Q111 cells expressing a mutated form of the huntingtin protein, and in N2a cells infected with an adenovirus carrying human huntingtin containing 94 polyQ repeats (mHtt-q94).” In vivo neuroprotective activity of Δ⁹-THCA “was investigated in mice intoxicated with the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP).”

After conducting the above-mentioned research, researchers conclude that; “Δ⁹-THCA shows potent neuroprotective activity, worth consideration for the treatment of Huntington´s Disease and possibly other neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases.”

The full study can be found by clicking here.

The post Study: THCA May Treat Neurodegenerative and Neuroinflammatory Diseases appeared first on TheJointBlog.