Can I Smoke Weed With a Concussion?

Absolutely! Cannabis has shown enormous possibilities in helping to heal traumatic brain injuries. Certain properties of the herb have proven to help heal brain tissue after incidents of concussion specifically. Three overarching characteristics make cannabis a great treatment for concussions.

Firstly, cannabis has neuroprotective antioxidants which function to both reduce brain inflammation and prevent stress-related damage to the brain in the future. Tel Aviv University conducted a 2014 study on rodents that demonstrated further evidence of cannabis reducing brain inflammation. The researchers write “Our results suggest that an ultra-low dose of THC that lacks any psychotrophic activity protects the brain from neuroinflammation-induced cognitive damage and might be used as an effective drug for the treatment of neuroinflammatory conditions including neurodegenerative disease.”

The second factor that makes cannabis effective in treating concussions are its neuroprotective properties. The US government is so convinced of these they hold a patent on nonpsychoactive CBD as a neuroprotective agent. The patent outlines the benefits of cannabis in this form of treatment, saying it limits neurological damage following incidents such as stroke, trauma, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.

A wealth of research from 2013 corroborates this and proves that the endocannabinoid system plays a critical role in the brain’s capacity to self-repair. After an acute injury, endocannabinoids can be highly therapeutic according to the study. Pre-treatment with cannabis has also been a very effective method of preventing concussions, particularly in the realm of professional athletics. Athletes in the fields of football, hockey, and professional wrestling, as well as regular folks who engage in risky hobbies like recreational skiing, are all susceptible to suffering a concussion. For these people, a non-psychoactive CBD edible or oil would be an appropriate preventative measure as skiing or playing in the NFL while high on a psychedelic THC strand comes with its share of consequences.

Having said this there is some evidence to the contrary as a 2014 study showed that patients with traumatic brain injury who had detectable levels of THC in their system at the time of the accident were far less at risk to die of brain trauma. It would appear THC rich strands are only effective at healing the brain after an injury has occurred. People in the world of professional sports are beginning to note the brain benefits of Cannabis on the heels of a recent investment of $100 million by the NFL to study traumatic brain injuries. Many former players, like Eugene Monroe and Jake Plummer, are very vocal proponents of CBD as a great healer and preventative measure.

In addition to concussions themselves, cannabis has also proven a great aid in the treatment of PCS (post-concussive system). With devastating symptoms like clinical depression and suicide, a 2012 study of rodents shows that cannabinoid treatments improve cognitive performance and memory function after neuropsychiatric conditions like PCS.