Marijuana Ingredient May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease

It seems sacrificing your memory now could lead to saving it in the future.

A new study, published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics by researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California has found that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The link between marijuana and Alzheimer's disease lies in the active ingredient, said Dr. Robert Bender, geriatrician at the Johnny Orr Memory Center and Healthy Living Institute, who specializes in diseases of old age with an interest in memory disorder.

"What various studies around the world are starting to show is that the basic ingredient in marijuana, the cannabis, may actually increase the level of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which we need to form new memories," Bender said. "It also may block the formation of something called amyloid plaques."

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