Geneva, Switzerland: The daily administration of plant-derived extracts containing a two-to-one ratio of CBD to THC is associated with a reduction in agitation and behavioral problems in patients with severe dementia, according to clinical data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
A team of Swiss investigators assessed the use of cannabis extracts over a two-month period in a group of ten female dementia patients residing in a nursing home facility.
Patients demonstrated reduced levels of agitation, rigidity, and behavioral problems following cannabis treatment. Half of the subjects decreased or ceased their use of other medications.
"An oral cannabis extract with THC/CBD … was well tolerated and greatly improved behavior problems, rigidity, and daily care in severely demented patients," authors concluded.
In prior clinical trials, the administration of oral synthetic THC capsules (Marinol) is associated with reductions in Alzheimer’s-induced agitation.
For more information, contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. Full text of the study, "Prescription of a THC/CBD-based medication to patients with dementia: A pilot study in Geneva," appears in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.