As the DEA continues to label marijuana and even the non-psychoactive cannabidiol oil (CBD) as being the same as heroin in terms of its health effects, addictive qualities and side effects, the real world also continues to exist outside of the walls of Washington, D.C. and mindless drug war proponents.

As jackboots continue to march on so does science and public opinion. Nearly every day a new marijuana-related potential cure appears on the scene. Whether its cancer or multiple sclerosis, the humble plant is offering to cure and relieve a plethora of diseases if the police state and bureaucrats would just get the hell out of the way.

The latest in a long line of diseases that could potentially be cured by marijuana is schizophrenia. Although affecting only about 1.1 percent of the American population, that small percentage translate to about 3.5 million people.

The symptoms of schizophrenia range from life-disrupting to completely debilitating. Cognitive symptoms are a major symptom of schizophrenia that involve comprehension, concentration and decision making.

Currently available medication does tend to be successful in treating hallucinations and delusions, but the cognitive aspects as well as those such as reduced speaking, blunted feelings and reduced social interaction are much less effectively treated. On top of that, antipsychotic medication has a wide range of side effects.

A new study, however, conducted by a team of researchers from the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute in New South Wales, Australia and published in the journal Nature reveal findings that suggest that CBD may be able to treat some of the symptoms of schizophrenia that are not effectively treated by existing pharmaceutical medications.

“We found that CBD was able to restore recognition and working memory, as well as social behavior to normal levels. These findings are interesting because they suggest that CBD may be able to treat some of the symptoms of schizophrenia that are seemingly resistant to existing medications. In addition, CBD treatment did not alter body weight or food intake, which are common side effects of antipsychotic drug treatment.”

First author Ashleigh Osborne

“From this review, we found that CBD will not improve learning and memory in healthy brains, but may improve aspects of learning and memory in illnesses associated with cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease, as well as neurological and neuro-inflammatory disorders,” explains Dr. Green.

“Evidence suggests that CBD is neuroprotective and can reduce cognitive impairment associated with use of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis,” Dr. Green adds.

Based on this evidence, Ph.D. candidate Ashleigh Osborne, together with Dr. Green – who is her supervisor – set out to examine if CBD can reduce cognitive impairment in rodents.

If the United States can ever stop throwing peaceful people in jail for possessing plants, and otherwise tearing apart the fabric of the country, it would do well to investigate the untold amounts of health benefits contained in this one plant alone.