POT ice bucket challenge for ALS
Has the ICE BUCKET challenge raised consciousness and real funds to research?
Is Cannabis beneficial to ALS patients?
As the “Ice bucket challenge” became increasingly popular, it’s important to focus on what really this campaign was meant for:
- finding best cares for improving life quality to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients
- find a cure to this devastating disorder
It is interesting that the ALS TDI, the biotech for ALS research which received the highest amount of donations (Wikipedia estimates it at $100m) openly admits: “Critcally, no pre-clinical compound, even those validated by ALS TDI, have actually proved beneficial even in early stage clinical trials.”
This is in fact true. No current medications cure the disease, and the drugs prescribed are limited due to poor symptoms management.
However, it is important to note the small number of clinical trials on cannabinoids for ALS, despite several preclinical findings (as well as self-medicating patients) report tremendous improvement of symptoms management with the use of Cannabis. Cannabinoids have been showing consistently to be a neuroprotectant, effectively slowing the progression of the disease.
Cannabinoids showed very positive results. Nobody can deny that further investigations might reveal how to boost the effects already observed (delayed onset and slow progression of the disease).
There is an urgency in starting clinical trials, so next time you donate to an ALS charity, do not forget to leave a request of pledge on investing your donation for cannabinoid-based research.
ALS patients have the right to live!
Here a summary of some of the most important research studies both pre-clinical & observational on the topic. The evidences coming from clinical research are still pending. Why are we not willing to invest in this kind of research, despite the incredibly beneficial effects noted?
NatureGoingSmart is not going to stop: stay tuned for more articles and videos!
If you wish to learn more about the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant, check out our cannabis section!
Did you like this video?
This original content has been offered for free without advertisements thanks to our readers’ contributions. You, too, can support us in many ways. Check out how here! Thank you
