Patients with traumatic brain injuries who were tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, were more likely to survive than those who tested negative for the drug.
![Marijuana Found to Reduce Death Rates in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injuries Marijuana Found to Reduce Death Rates in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injuries](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/Cocaine.jpg)
"Previous studies conducted by other researchers had found certain compounds in marijuana helped protect the brain in animals after a trauma," said David Plurad, MD, an LA BioMed researcher and the study's lead author. "This study was one of the first in a clinical setting to specifically associate THC use as an independent predictor of survival after traumatic brain injury."
The researchers noted that the timing of their study was "pertinent" because of current efforts to decriminalize marijuana and other research that has shown THC can increase appetite, reduce ocular pressure, decrease muscle spasms, relieve pain and alleviate symptoms associated with irritable bowel disease. But they noted that their study has some significant limitations.
"While most – but not all – the deaths in the study can be attributed to the traumatic brain injury itself, it appears that both groups were similarly injured," Dr. Plurad said. "The similarities in the injuries between the two groups led to the conclusion that testing positive for THC in the system is associated with a decreased mortality in adult patients who have sustained traumatic brain injuries."
Source-Eurekalert