The administration of the non-psychotropic cannabis plant constituent cannabidiol (CBD) improves mobility in rats with spinal cord injuries, according to preclinical data published in the journal Neurotoxicity Research.

Investigators at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil assessed the impact of CBD on motor function in rats with cryogenically induced spinal cord injury. The animals received injections of a placebo or CBD immediately before, three hours after and daily for sixdays after surgery.

Researchers reported that cannabidiol-treated rats exhibited higher locomotor skills at the end of one week.

“Cannabidiol improved locomotor functional recovery and reduced injury extent, suggesting that it could be useful in the treatment of spinal cord lesions,” investigators concluded.

Previous studies of CBD have documented the cannabinoid to possess a variety of therapeutic abilities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-epileptic, anti-cancer, and bone-stimulating properties.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol-treated rats exhibited higher motor score after cryogenic spinal cord injury,” appears in Neurotoxicity Research.