Studies have shown that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical in cannabis, can serve as an effective remedy to cure the common symptoms of brain ageing in rats. This finding may open the door to strategies for preserving mental sharpness and cognitive function as we age.
This study was conducted by researchers from Germany and Israel, drawing on the rest of the studies relating to the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1), which revealed the working of the anti-ageing properties of THC through a signalling route that involves the mTOR protein controlling per se metabolome and cell metabolism.
According to a release by the German University of Bonn, in a previous study, the Bonn researchers, together with a team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, were able to show that long-term, low-dose administration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis, has an anti-ageing effect on the brain by restoring cognitive abilities and synapse density in old mice. Whether changes in mTOR signalling and the metabolome are linked to the positive effects on the ageing brain has remained an open question