The latest research on THC shows that even extremely low doses of THC can help mouse livers, and potentially human livers, overcome ischemia-reperfusion injury, a common cause of liver transplant failure.

In the past THC has shown scientists it can protect the body against oxidative damage and reduce inflammation. Upon probing the further consequences of THC’s antioxidative effects, scientists in Israel have discovered that even very minute doses can protect the liver.

Much research on cannabinoids tries hard to avoid the psychotropic effects of THC, the “high,” by using CBD (which has little psychoactive effect) or synthetic cannabinoids. Sometimes these synthetic cannabinoids can be very harmful to the body, and CBD does not target cannabinoid receptors in the same way THC does, making the use of THC in medicine somewhat unavoidable. Without giving up on trying to avoid getting patients high, this latest study analyzed the effects of THC in doses almost 1,000 times less than that required to get high. Their results show that even a single, incredibly small dose of THC can reduce the effects of ischemic-reperfusion injury.

Cannabis ay not be a true “cure all” but as research into cannabinoid medicines progresses, even sticklers must admit that the breadth and diversity of applications already discovered are astonishing.