Medical Cannabis Ideal for Recovering from Stroke or Other Brain Injury

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Someone has a stroke every 53 seconds. Most are ischemic, which deny blood and oxygen to brain tissue cells due to blood vessel constrictions or obstructions. Hemorrhagic strokes, which occur from leaking or burst brain blood vessels, are in the minority. Strokes do cause brain and neurological damage since a portion of the brain is denied blood and oxygen long enough for brain cell death and tissue damage. Most medical professionals consider the damage irreparable. This irreparable damage is a leading cause of disability, often involving speech, which is sometimes partially overcome with costly and extensive rehab. Often major damage comes from the effort to rapidly restore blood flow for ischemic stroke victims, known as reperfusion, in order to keep the victim alive. Recent research in China using pure cannabidiol (CBD) discovered it is a safe deterrent that at least minimizes permanent damage from strokes. From that study comes this conclusion: “In summary, our results suggest that CBD exerts a potent neuroprotective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury by attenuating intracellular oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial bioenergetics, and optimizing glucose metabolism via the pentose-phosphate pathway, thus strengthening the antioxidant defenses and preserving the energy homeostasis of neurons.”