According to a 2014 Government Census report, in 2050, the population aged 65 and over is projected to be 83.7 million, almost double its estimated population of 43.1 million in 2012.
Osteoporosis is a disease marked by reduced bone strength leading to an increased risk of fractures, or broken bones. Bone strength has two main features: bone mass (amount of bone) and bone quality. Osteoporosis is the major underlying cause of fractures in postmenopausal women and the elderly. Fractures occur most often in bones of the hip, spine, and wrist, but any bone can be affected. Some fractures can be permanently disabling, especially when they occur in the hip.
Many people think that osteoporosis is a natural and unavoidable part of aging. However, medical experts now believe that osteoporosis is largely preventable. Furthermore, people who already have osteoporosis can take steps to prevent or slow further progress of the disease and reduce their risk of future fractures. Although osteoporosis was once viewed primarily as a disease of old age, it is now recognized as a disease that can stem from less than optimal bone growth during childhood and adolescence, as well as from bone loss later in life. — National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Recently, researchers from Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University have concluded that Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive molecule found in Cannabis, significantly helps bone heal during a facture. The study, conducted on rats with mid-femoral fractures, found that Cannabidiol markedly enhanced the healing process of the femur after just eight weeks.
The research was led jointly by Dr. Yankel Gabet of the Bone Research Laboratory at the Department of Anatomy and Anthropology at TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the late Prof. Itai Bab of Hebrew University’s Bone Laboratory.
Undeniable Potential
The research team also discovered in previous research, that cannabinoid receptors within our bodies stimulate bone formation and inhibited bone loss. These discoveries, with much more work to be done, can lead to major changes in how osteoporosis and other bone related diseases are treated.
“The clinical potential of cannabinoid-related compounds is simply undeniable at this point,” said Dr. Gabet. “While there is still a lot of work to be done to develop appropriate therapies, it is clear that it is possible to detach a clinical therapy objective from the psychoactivity of cannabis. CBD, the principal agent in our study, is primarily anti-inflammatory and has no psychoactivity.”
According to Dr. Gabet, our bodies are equipped with an endo-cannabinoid system, which regulates both vital and non-vital systems. “We only respond to cannabis because we are built with intrinsic compounds and receptors that can also be activated by compounds in the cannabis plant,” he said. The researchers found that the skeleton itself is regulated by endocannabinoids. Even the addition of a non-psychogenic compound acting outside of the brain can affect the skeleton.
Why Does the Endocannabinoid System Really Help Make Bones Stronger
Professor Raphael Menchoulam, the Godfather of Cannabis research, pointed out the reason in a ten second clip, from the documentary “The Scientist”, based on the his research life, about why the Endocannabinoid System plays a role. Professor Menchoulam is in a laboratory, he points to a screen with a microscope shot of bone and says, “Here, CB receptors are in the Growth Engine of Bone.”
Separating the Components Out
“We found that CBD alone makes bones stronger during healing, enhancing the maturation of the collagenous matrix, which provides the basis for new mineralization of bone tissue,” said Dr. Gabet. “After being treated with CBD, the healed bone will be harder to break in the future.”
The researchers injected one group of rats with CBD alone and another with a combination of CBD and THC. After evaluating the administration of THC and CBD together in the rats, they found CBD alone provided the necessary therapeutic stimulus.
“We found CBD alone to be sufficiently effective in enhancing fracture healing,” said Dr. Gabet. “Other studies have also shown CBD to be a safe agent, which leads us to believe we should continue this line of study in clinical trials to assess its usefulness in improving human fracture healing.”
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