A new study found that while a low dose of the cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol caused young mice to perform worse in learning and memory tasks, it restored age-related learning and memory decline in old mice. However, the researchers warn than more work must be done before it can be said that the cannabis compound might reverse cognitive decline in elderly humans.

Share on Pinterest New research suggests that a low dose of THC can help to restore learning and memory in older mice.

The study – led by researchers from the University of Bonn and the LIMES Institute, both in Germany, in collaboration with colleagues from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in Israel – is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Cannabinoids such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are a class of more than 100 psychoactive, or mind-altering, compounds that are found in the cannabis, or marijuana, plant. They exert a powerful effect because they interact with cannabinoid receptors in the brain.

The body also makes its own cannabinoids that interact with cannabinoid receptors to help regulate a range of functions, including awareness of time, concentration, memory, thinking, pleasure, movement, appetite, pain, and the processing of sensory signals such as touch, smell, hearing, vision, and taste.

Although the subject of much heated debate, cannabinoids have been investigated for their medicinal value. For example, CBD is being investigated for its potential to treat childhood epilepsy and other neurological conditions.

Also, some THC-based drugs have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for specific conditions, such as treating nausea during chemotherapy and stimulating appetite in patients with AIDS who have wasting syndrome.