Study: Marijuana Use May Heal Broken Bones

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Marijuana is the dried version of the hemp plant called Cannabis sativa, and is perhaps the most abused drug in the whole world due to its availability. In some states, this plant is legalized for medical use in brain development, despite being a controversial treatment option. Today, a group of researchers believe they can give another positive attribute to marijuana, after discovering that it can also help in rapidly healing broken bones.

CBS Seattle reports that based on a study done at the Tel Aviv University in Israel, researchers have found out that when cannabidiol or CBD, a non-psychoactive marijuana compound, is injected to the body of injured rats, it can dramatically improve the healing process of broken bones. They have also noted that the healed bones have become stronger, more flexible and are less susceptible to injuries.

Dr. Yankel Gabet of the Tel Aviv's Bone Research Laboratory said using cannabidiol alone can effectively lessen fracture healing time. As most studies believe that the use of this component is safe, further clinical trials can be done in order to improve its usefulness.

Huffington Post describes how the study has been conducted, stating that the researchers used cannabidiol to rodents suffering from mid-femoral fractures. Then, the researchers have added tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to the mix in another group of rodents to see which of the two will yield better results. The findings have remarkably shown that CBD can do the job best when used on its own.

There have been several studies conducted in the past years to verify how effective marijuana can be as a medical treatment. Some studies have linked its use to improved blood sugar control, reduced metastasis of cancer, lessened inflammation from multiple sclerosis, and lately, it is said to stop HIV infection from spreading.

AOL writes that with this discovery, the 8.9 million osteoporosis victims that the International Osteoporosis Foundation has reported can definitely benefit from it. Best of all, as CBD is non-psychoactive, it will not make the patients feel high or suffer the side effects of the drug during treatment.

During a press release done at the Tel Aviv University, Dr. Gabet said the medical potential of marijuana's cannabinoid-related compound is countless, and with a lot of hard work, the development of treatments from the plant can assure people that they can get more benefits from a drug that has formerly brought only problems and addiction to people.

The study has been published at the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research this year.