Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder. With Parkinson’s disease, a part of a person’s brain deteriorates, causing progressively worse symptoms, including tremors and slowed movements. There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but some of its symptoms can be managed.
Parkinson’s disease is also called paralysis agitans or shaking palsy. Parkinsonism is a term used to describe Parkinson’s disease and other similar disorders. Evidence of Parkinson’s disease in history dates as far back as 1000 BC, although it was first described as a medical condition by a surgeon named James Parkinson in 1817.1
Parkinson’s disease is a common age-related disorder, only surpassed by Alzheimer’s disease. In the United States, almost 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, and more than one million people live with the condition.
For such a prevalent disease, much about Parkinson’s disease is still unknown, and improving diagnosis and treatment methods are a priority. In a recent 2022 study, researchers identified 76 proteins as biomarkers that may help with earlier detection of Parkinson’s disease.2
What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?
With Parkinson’s disease, nerve cells in the basal ganglia break down and die, causing a shortage of dopamine and norepinephrine, which results in the symptoms of this brain disorder. Yet experts are only able to classify around 10% of Parkinson’s disease cases as genetic, and the rest are considered idiopathic, meaning they have no identifiable cause.
However, some factors have been associated with the disorder, although it cannot be prevented, and you can’t reduce your risk of developing it:
- Certain gene variations
- Exposure to certain toxins
- Presence of Lewy bodies within brain cells
- The presence of a specific protein within Lewy bodies
- Older age (60+)
- Family history of Parkinson’s disease
- Being male
Signs & Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
People who have Parkinson’s disease may experience one or more of the following common symptoms:
- Tremors, usually in a limb
- Slowness of movement, called bradykinesia
- Prolonged muscle stiffness
- Impaired posture and coordination
Other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include:
- Other motor-related symptoms: Changed walking gait, trouble swallowing, drooling, small handwriting, and hypophonia.
- Non-motor symptoms: Cognitive problems, depression, loss of sense of smell, sleep problems, and symptoms affecting the autonomic nervous system, like incontinence.
There is no longer a staging system to classify the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Instead, doctors use the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). This scale takes into account the ways in which Parkinson’s disease can impact each person’s life individually:
- Part 1: Non-motor aspects of daily living examines non-motor symptoms of PD.
- Part 2: Motor aspects of daily living experiences examines how PD affects daily movement-related abilities and activities.
- Part 3: Motor examination determines how PD affects a person’s movement.
- Part 4: Motor complications determine the impact that PD has on a person’s life.
There are two types of treatments for Parkinson’s disease: direct treatment, which targets the disease, and symptom treatments, to address its effects. Some treatments can decrease in effectiveness over time. Parkinson’s disease is a lifelong condition but not fatal by itself, although it can lead to other complications that can sometimes be fatal.
Can Cannabis Help Alleviate Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease?
With cannabis use increasing and the ever-present need for breakthroughs in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, researchers have been investigating the potential of cannabis to treat Parkinson’s disease and its symptoms.
Cannabinoid receptors are highly present within the basal ganglia of the brain, and research has found that the endocannabinoid system is altered in individuals affected by movement disorders like Parkinson’s. The endocannabinoid system is also known to regulate the dopamine system, which may also indicate its potential role in Parkinson’s disease.3
Cannabinoids such as CBD, THC, THCV, and the terpene beta-caryophyllene have been demonstrated in preclinical studies to have neuroprotective effects against Parkinson’s disease. Beta-caryophyllene, THC, THCV, and CBD have also been found to restore levels of dopamine and dopaminergic neurons.4
A 2019 review reporting on the pros and cons of cannabis use for Parkinson’s noted that a small clinical study of 22 individuals found that smoking cannabis had a positive effect on symptoms such as bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity, and posture. Other clinical studies suggest cannabis use may help with depression, sleep, and pain.5
Research on some cannabinoids leads experts to believe cannabis may have a place in slowing the progression of the actual disease, but further study is required to determine how this effect may work and could be safely harnessed long-term.6
Studies show that cannabis appears to reduce common motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and this condition is a qualifier for medical marijuana in some states. Consult with your doctor before using cannabis for Parkinson’s disease, as cannabis doesn’t replace treatment for Parkinson’s disease, and medication interactions and additional adverse effects are possible.
Side effects of cannabis usage can include drowsiness, impaired coordination, and temporary cognitive effects, which may not be ideal for individuals with Parkinson’s. Low doses are recommended to start, and if no intoxicating effects are desired, then cannabis products or strains with high CBD and low or no THC are suggested to help reduce the risk of impairment.
Legality and Doctor’s Recommendation
To determine if your state considers Parkinson’s disease to be a qualifying condition for medical marijuana, check out our Laws & Regulations section for the medical cannabis rules for your state.
If you find that your state recognizes Parkinson’s disease or its symptoms as a qualifying medical condition, you can seek a doctor’s recommendation to get your medical cannabis card in your state.
How NuggMD Can Help
NuggMD is the nation's leading medical marijuana technology platform, serving patients in over half the United States. We’ve connected over 2,000,000 patients with their new medical marijuana doctors face-to-face via our state-of-the-art telemedicine platform.
We believe that every human being has the right to explore the benefits of medical cannabis and are fully committed to helping each patient explore all of their options in their journey to wellness. For further information on whether you qualify for medical cannabis, select your state.
Is Parkinson’s and cannabis use a bad combination?
Parkinson’s disease is a qualifying condition for medical cannabis in some states, and current studies show that cannabis appears to reduce certain symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. However, further study is needed to determine the most safe and effective method of using cannabis for Parkinson’s disease.
What type of cannabis is suitable for Parkinson’s disease?
THC, CBD, and THCV are cannabinoids that have been studied for Parkinson’s disease. Some well-known high-THCV strains include:
- Girl Scout Cookies
- Jack Herer
- Doug’s Varin
- Durban Poison
- Red Congolese
What happens with THC and Parkinson’s disease?
Some clinical studies indicate that THC can help boost dopamine levels, which are lowered in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, as well as potentially help improve pain and sleep.5
Resources
- Goetz CG. The history of Parkinson's disease: early clinical descriptions and neurological therapies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2011;1(1):a008862. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a008862 ↩︎
- Mackmull MT, Nagel L, Sesterhenn F, et al. Global, in situ analysis of the structural proteome in individuals with Parkinson's disease to identify a new class of biomarker. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2022;29(10):978-989. doi:10.1038/s41594-022-00837-0 ↩︎
- Stampanoni Bassi M, Sancesario A, Morace R, Centonze D, Iezzi E. Cannabinoids in Parkinson’s Disease. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. 2017;2(1):21-29. doi:https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2017.0002 ↩︎
- Prakash S, Carter WG. The Neuroprotective Effects of Cannabis-Derived Phytocannabinoids and Resveratrol in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Literature Review of Pre-Clinical Studies. Brain Sciences. 2021; 11(12):1573. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121573 ↩︎
- Patel RS, Kamil S, Shah MR, Bhimanadham NN, Imran S. Pros and Cons of Marijuana in Treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Cureus. 2019 Jun 3;11(6):e4813. doi: 10.7759/cureus.4813. PMID: 31403009; PMCID: PMC6682376. ↩︎
- Thanabalasingam SJ, Ranjith B, Jackson R, Wijeratne DT. Cannabis and its derivatives for the use of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders. 2021;14:175628642110185. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/17562864211018561 ↩︎
The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.
