Cannabis has been said to do a lot of things, and it’s also been said to not do a lot of things in the medical community, but one study is saying that the plant may protect users from having a stroke.
According to a controversial study, people who smoke marijuana on a daily basis have better blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
The University of Texas at Dallas conducted the study which found the drug can improve oxygen and blood flow to the brain, reducing the risk of clots that cause a brain attack.
The team at the university even found that chronic cannabis users have the most efficient brain blood flow of all. This suggests that these users are actually at the lowest risk for having a stroke.
All users in the study had reported at least 5,000 usages over their lifetime and daily use for 60 days leading up to the study. They were also required to not use the drug for 72 hours before the study.
Each participant went through magnetic resonance imaging, and THC metabolite levels were measured using urinalysis.
The team learned that cannabis users showed higher global oxygen extraction fraction and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen compared to nonusers.
According to the study, putamen, which is an area of the brain that is associated with reward, learning and habits, had the most blood flow and it was more than compared to those who do not use marijuana.
‘Past marijuana research has shown changes in cognitive functions such as memory and executive functioning,’ remarked lead author Dr Francesca Filbey.
‘Our study seeks to understand the possible neurophysiological mechanisms that may drive these cognitive changes.’
