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Swap Alcohol for Marijuana to Prevent Dementia, Says Study

Dementia Marijuana

A new study released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggests that consuming alcohol increases the risk of dementia. Meanwhile, other studies indicate that marijuana use curbs the urge to drink in excess.

Roughly 10 million new dementia diagnoses are reported annually, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) , Forbes reports. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia diagnosed. Evidence suggests that marijuana may be an effective treatment option for those with dementia.

As more states legalize the medicinal or recreational use of marijuana, the alcohol industry loses a bit more revenue. Cowen & Company released data showing that in states where marijuana is legal, binge drinking rates have dropped. They said, “In legal adult use cannabis states, the number of binge drinking sessions per month (for states legal through 2016) was -9% below the national average.”

The University of Colorado-Boulder published a study earlier in 2018 indicating that marijuana use causes less harm to the brain than alcohol. Alcohol use reduces the levels of white and gray matter tissue, and marijuana does not. In fact, no structural changes to the brain were shown due to marijuana use.

A 2017 study published in the Current Neurological Neuroscience Reports suggests that marijuana should be studied more as a treatment option for those with dementia as there are less negative side effects associated with it than traditional medical offerings.