Author Kate Simmons

Alzheimer’s is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that slowly shuts down the brain and eventually leads to death. But a new study gives patients and their families hope that marijuana could help.

Researchers at the Salk Institute of Biological Studies published astudy in the June journal of Aging and Mechanisms of Disease announcing the discovery of a compound present in marijuana that triggers the removal of beta-amyloid protein from neurons. In layman’s terms, that means cannabis could help remove deadly plaque accumulation from the nerve cells.

Alzheimer’s is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that slowly shuts down the brain and eventually leads to death. But a new study gives patients and their families hope that marijuana could help.

Researchers at the Salk Institute of Biological Studies published astudy in the June journal of Aging and Mechanisms of Disease announcing the discovery of a compound present in marijuana that triggers the removal of beta-amyloid protein from neurons. In layman’s terms, that means cannabis could help remove deadly plaque accumulation from the nerve cells.

At a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing convened last week to consider “the potential medical benefits of marijuana,” lawmakers heard from cannabis advocates and doctors alike. Their testimony overwhelmingly supported marijuana being used for medical purposes; many of the speakers also supported rescheduling cannabis to a Schedule II substance.

Numerous individuals and organizations had been invited to present testimony, including Aaron Smith, co-founder and executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. NCIA represents more than 1,000 businesses in forty states, including many in Colorado. Smith told the senators that while the American public has acknowledged the medical benefits of cannabis for decades, the federal government has yet to do so. This reluctance at the federal level has prohibited adequate research into cannabis, which furthers the argument of naysayers. It’s a catch-22, he said: Without legitimate research, detractors can continue to claim that marijuana does not have any medical value — but as it stands, scientific research is not possible, so it’s hard to prove the medical benefits of the substance.

The Italian Parliament is gathering today to discuss a proposal for marijuana legalization. If passed, the bill on the table — similar to the proposal Colorado voters passed in 2012 — would allow the cultivation, possession and use of marijuana. Italian citizens over the age of eighteen would be allowed to grow as many as five plants for personal use, have up to fifteen grams of marijuana in their homes and possess a maximum of five grams in public. It would also authorize “cannabis clubs,” where up to fifty people could gather and smoke together.

Cannabis would be taxed at a rate of 5 percent; the government would issue licenses allowing the cultivation of marijuana with the intention for it to be sold for recreational purposes. The tax would be used to fund Italy’s effort to crack down on illegal drug trafficking.