Research undertaken at a Scottish university has discovered how a compound in cannabis can help cells to function in our bodies and aid recovery after an injury.
Research undertaken at a Scottish university has discovered how a compound in cannabis can help cells to function in our bodies and aid recovery after an injury.
The work was undertaken by Dr Bettina Platt, from Aberdeen University's School of Medical Sciences and was published in the journal of neuroscience.
The research reports on their studies into a molecule called cannabidiol (CBD) which is found in cannabis plants.
The molecule is not the constituent that provides users of the drug with the high and the medics are hopeful that this means that CBD may be more acceptable for use as a drug treatment.
The scientists at Aberdeen have discovered how CBD works within brain cells.
The compound interacts with mitochondria, which are responsible for the generation of power within all cells, helping to maintain normal levels of calcium which allows cells to function properly and provides a greater resistance to damage.
Dr Bettina Platt, from the University's School of Medical Sciences, said in a statement: "Scientists have known for a long time that CBD can help with pain relief but we never really knew how it worked.
"However we have discovered what it actually does at the cellular level.
"We are hoping that our findings can instruct the development of cannabidiol based treatments for disorders related to mitochondrial dysfunction such as Parkinson's disease or Huntington's disease."
However, Dr Platt cautioned that smoking cannabis would not necessarily have the same effect.
"There are different strains of cannabis out there and many no longer contain cannabidiol. As a result, smoking cannabis would not necessarily have the same beneficial effect, and could even exacerbate neuronal damage."
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