Marijuana May Help Organ Transplant Patients By Delaying Rejection

It wasn't more than 10 years ago that students were being told how marijuana kills brain cells, and some may still be told this, but now that marijuana has taken a positive light in the public and research is much more prevalent, it seems every week is showing a new potential use for the miracle drug. We already know that cannabis has shown major benefits with many conditions, but now we're seeing possibilities it could help transplant patients with anti-rejection. Studies are being done on mice to transplant their skin between genetically different mice, and THC is showing to extend the time before the body rejects the foreign organ. The research is young and may not eventually translate to humans, but the possiblities are exciting and call for much more research to be done. 

"We are excited to demonstrate for the first time that cannabinoid receptors play an important role in the prolongation of rejection of a foreign graft by suppressing immune response in the recipient, said study co-author Mitzi Nagarkatti. "This opens up a new area of research that would lead to better approaches to prevent transplant rejection as well as to treat other inflammatory diseases."