Marijuana could hold the key to treating Alzheimer's but drug laws stand in the way, say scientists

Chemicals found in cannabis could be used to help treat dementia, early studies have shown – but further research into the findings is being stymied by restrictive drug laws, scientists say.

While initial findings published last year raise hopes cannabis compounds could one day form the basis of a new medicine to help treat Alzheimer’s disease, the next steps are proving slow.

The US Alzheimer’s Association have said marijuana is a legitimate area of research into possible treatment for the disease, but some experts have been skeptical, reported CNN.

“It is difficult to say what, if any, effect this might have in humans, even if it would successfully promote clearance of [amyloid beta plaque],” Donovan Maust, IHPI member and assistant professor of psychiatry at the U-M, said.