A new study conducted by Professor Yosef Sarne of Tel Aviv University's Adelson Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine suggests that extremely low quantities of marijuana can protect the brain from long-term cognitive damage following injury from lack of oxygen, seizures, or toxic drugs.

The repercussions of brain damage often range from mild cognitive deficits to severe neurological damage.

Known medicinally as an effective tool for sufferers of chronic ailments - including cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder - recreationally, the drug is infamous for the negative effects it can have on one's brain patterns. Scientific research on the drug has increased significantly over the last few years, as more and more doctors and scientists continue to discover its medicinal attributes.

According to Professor Sarne, marijuana has neuroprotective qualities; through his studies, which have just been published in the journals Behavioural Brain Research and Experimental Brain Research, Sarne notes that extremely low doses of THC - approximately 1,000 to 10,000 times less than the traditional joint - administered over a period of up to a week before, and up to 3 days after an injury - can galvanize the biochemical processes which protect brain cells, and maintains cognitive functions.

The treatment could be useful in various cases of brain injury, and is also safer than traditional treatments for patients suffering from brain injuries, says Professor Sarne.

Along with a research team, Sarne found that tiny doses of marijuana actually promote mental growth, stave off cell elimination, and strengthen the communication signals between cells throughout the brain. They found, by using lab mice, that THC treatment had a higher success rate over traditional treatments when measuring learning and memory. They also found that those given the THC treatment had stronger, improved mental neuroprotective chemicals.

Professor Sarne explains that the effect is a result of pre- and post-conditioning; marijuana causes minute damage to the brain when consumed, but also builds resistance throughout the brain, creating protective measures in the event of more severe injury. The low dosage of THC is necessary to jumpstart this process without causing any substantial damage.

This treatment can very well prevent future incidents of brain injury in patients. Because the THC is administered through low doses, it makes it safe to use for patients with a higher risk of brain injury.

Professor Sarne is currently working with Professor Edith Hochhauser of the Rabin Medical Center to test if low doses of THC can also prevent injuries in the heart.