How marijuana assists in bone fracture recovery

According to a new report published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, you may want to take one or two puffs on a jazz cigarette the next time you fracture your arm.
At the University of Tel Aviv in Israel, an institution on the forefront of marijuana research, scientists have recently discovered that marijuana can do more than just bring relief to those with glaucoma or give chemotherapy patients “the munchies” – it can also aid with the healing of bone fractures.
While it doesn’t provide the high marijuana enthusiasts are “jonesing for,” the non-psychotropic component cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) was shown to assist in the healing of a broken femora over the course of eight weeks.
The new study expands on previous research by the same team that found cannabinoid receptors in the human body trigger bone formation and prevent bone loss, and this find could pave the way for treating osteoporosis and other bone disease with marijuana or marijuana products.
No THC here
For those wary of using a psychoactive substance, the research indicates the beneficial bone-building agent could be separated from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – marijuana’s mind-altering component.
“The clinical potential of cannabinoid-related compounds is simply undeniable at this point,” study author Yankel Gabet, from the university’s Bone Research Laboratory, said in a press release. “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.”
In the study, researchers injected one group of rodents with CBD and another with a combination of CBD and THC. The team found the administration of just CBD offers the necessary therapeutic effect.
“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,” he said. “After being treated with CBD, the healed bone will be harder to break in the future.”
“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,” Gabet added.
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