7 Healthcast: Alzheimer's & cannabis

Cannabis plants may offer hope to people with Alzheimer's. One of the 400 compounds in cannabis is about to be trusted in human trials to see if it can delay the onset of memory loss.

"Cannabis, as it is normally smoked, has mind blowing properties and there are compounds in there which has these hallucinogenic properties," explains cannabis expert Tony Moffat. "However, some of the indications for Alzheimer's in a mouse model is just a single compound that's used from cannabis plant material which is extracted and it can stop the memory loss."

Studies of mice have shown that the cannabis derivative, which is not hallucinogenic, can prevent the progression to memory loss of Alzheimer's disease.

"The treatment opportunities for Alzheimer's disease are so few, it is incurable. The drugs that exist at the moment aren't suitable for everybody. So there being other drugs available, I'm sure will be a positive thing for patients," said Dr. Suzanne Sorenson of the Alzheimer's Society.

From cannabis, a plant known to be damaging to the mind, might yet come a medicine that will protect nerve cells in the brain.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, someone is diagnosed with the disease every 72 seconds. Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 24 million people worldwide.

(Copyright 2008 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)