The cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) found in marijuana plants helps heal bone fractures, research finds. Although the experiment was done on rodents, they have been useful skeletal models for humans in the past.
“All the current clinical treatments for osteoporosis [have] been successfully tested in rodents prior to clinical settings,” Yankel Gabet, a bone researcher at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, wrote in an email to Live Science. “While there is no certainty, these findings hold promise for the potential clinical applicability of using CBD for fracture healing in humans.”
The way by which marijuana produces its effects is by activating receptors in the body that respond to compounds called endocannabinoids, which are cannabis-like molecules that the body processes naturally. Mentally, weed acts upon these receptors for mind-altering changes to occur. However, cannabinoid receptors are found all over the body, not just in the brain. This leads researchers to believe that CBD might have medical applications that reach further than opening appetites and relieving pain.
Gabet and his team are currently looking in on the effects of cannabis on the skeleton, specifically bone healing. This interest was sparked by the common use of broken bones mixed with marijuana use.
“It is likely that many patients suffering from bone fractures consume cannabis that may have beneficial or adverse effects on the healing process,” said Gabet.
Research in the past has proved that cannabinoid receptors may stimulate bone formation. In more recent research, however, the team injected rats that had broken bones with either CBD or a mixture of CBD and THC. Researchers found a bridge of cartilage to develop that leads to stronger and quicker bone growth. In CBD experiments, this tissue was more robust, and the collagen molecules were more tightly cross-linked with one another. This means that the healed bones in CBD-treated rats has a lower chance of breaking than those of the rats who did not get tested. The treated bone can be as high as 50% more durable. THC was not necessary since CBD had the same effect.
“There is no need to be exposed to the euphoric effects of cannabis/THC to get the beneficial functions of CBD on bone,” Gabet said.
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