Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a condition on the dementia spectrum that gradually destroys nerve cells in the brain and may lead to problems with memory, language and problem-solving, trouble with understanding and expressing thoughts, confusion, apathy, poor judgment, and impulsive behavior. As AD progresses, these symptoms can begin to interfere with daily activities. With further progression, individuals with AD may require assistance with some activities of daily living all the way to 24-hour care.
AD affects more than 7 million individuals in the US, with almost two-thirds of those affected being women. This number is expected to grow over the next couple of decades as the number of Americans over 65 is projected to increase.
As AD advances, most individuals will require some level of care ranging from help with certain tasks to complete care. The burden on caregivers can become very high, leading to physical and emotional stress. Much of the care provided is unpaid.
Currently, there are 8 drugs FDA-approved to treat the symptoms of AD and 2 new drugs that slow the progression of the disease.
Some non-drug treatments include physical activity, reminiscence exercises, light therapy, music and art therapy, and pet therapy.
Where does Medical Cannabis fit into the treatment of AD? There are currently no approved cannabis medications for the treatment of AD. Some promising studies are showing that cannabis treatments for AD may decrease the behavioral symptoms associated with AD, provide neuroprotection that may slow the progression of AD, and that cannabis-based treatment may reduce the caregiver burden by improving the status of the AD patient. Additionally, cannabinoid-based medicines seem to be well tolerated with few short-term side effects. The consensus is that further research is needed on medical cannabis as a treatment for AD and its symptoms of dementia.
Most of the studies used cannabidiol (CBD), starting with a low dose and increasing slowly to improve tolerance. A starting dose for CBD for the treatment of AD could be 20-25 mg CBD every 6 hours. If dosing of 50-100mg daily around the clock does not show benefit after two weeks, consider adding 1-2mg of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to each dose of CBD. Hazel’s Tincture may be a good product for an AD patient to try as it is a very low dose of THC and is rich in other cannabinoids.
We used to think that the terpene Pinene could reduce THC-induced memory impairment caused by THC. Current research does not support this theory. Pinene can provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may help with neurodegenerative disorders such as AD.
If a patient wants to try medical cannabis as a treatment for AD, they should consult their medical provider and their medical cannabis pharmacist prior to initiating treatment.
References:
- https://www.alz.org
- Alzheimer’s Association. 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimers Dement 2026;22.
- A systematic study of molecular targets of cannabidiol in Alzheimer’s disease
- Nil Patil, Khushalika Patil, […], and Norazlina Mat Nawi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0476-1398 norazlina@usm.my+9
- Cannabis sativa and Cannabidiol: A Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases? Milena de Barros Viana a, Pedro Everson Alexandre de Aquino b, Débora Estadella a, Daniel Araki Ribeiro a, Glauce Socorro de Barros Viana b,*
- Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease with a Cannabis-Based Magistral Formulation: An Open-Label Prospective Cohort Study Open Access
- Cristian E. Navarro Corresponding Author Juan C. Pérez
- Cannabidiol for behavior symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease (CANBiS-AD): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 April 2024 Latha Velayudhan, Marta Dugonjic, Sara Pisani, Lucy Harborow, Dag Aarsland, Paul Bassett and Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- In vivo Evidence for Therapeutic Properties of Cannabidiol (CBD) for Alzheimer’s Disease Georgia Watt 1, Tim Karl 1,2,*
- Higgins, RPh, Colleen. (2020) The Cannabis Prescription. Sway Innovations.
- Hudson, Russ. (2022) The Big Book of Terps: Understanding Terpenes, Flavonoids, and Synergy in Cannabis. Russ Hudson.
