Got Cannabis? The Secret to Mending and Strengthening Bones

Move over milk- cannabis is taking center stage as the secret to stronger bones. New research has revealed this new addition to the ever-growing list of benefits that the cannabis plant can provide. The medicinal qualities of this leafy green plant have been utilized in almost every industry across North America since it was legalized in 2017, showing up in everything from face moisturizers to seizure medication.

Cannabis Boosts Bone Health

A new study conducted by Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University shows the potential for CBD to not only heal bone fractures but also prevent them from breaking again. Rats with mid-femoral fractures were injected with either a mixture of THC and CBD or CBD isolate. They found that there was a noticeable enhancement during the healing process after 8 weeks.

“We found that CBD alone makes bones stronger during healing, enhancing the maturation of the collagenous matrix, which provides the basis for new mineralization of bone tissue. After being treated with CBD, the healed bone will be harder to break in the future.”

-Dr. Yankel Gabet

Everything You Need to Know About CBD

CBD is one of the main compounds found in the cannabis plant alongside its active counterpart, THC. Cannabidiol (CBD), is non-psychotic and while it’s known as the bliss molecule it doesn’t leave the consumer with the feeling of being “high”. It might not leave you feeling hazy but it does regulate mood, reduce pain, and fights feelings of depression and anxiety. There is still much to be discovered about this magical compound but with a renewed interest in research, we do know it has a large number of practical uses.

• Helps heal fractures and promotes bone health
• Reduces seizures for people suffering from epilepsy
• Lowers inflammation
• Can help people with neurological illnesses such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury
• Can improve skin and hair health
• Helps people manage symptoms of ADHD

CBD For Healing Broken Bones

When you break a bone, collagen is built up over the fracture to create a bridge and eventually becomes hardened into new bone. This is where CBD comes in handy with its powerful collagen-producing power. Studies have shown that this is not only effective at speeding up the healing process but also strengthens bones so that they’re less likely to break again in the future. This isn’t a small find for people with weakening bones as researchers say the intervention of cannabis makes bones 35-50% stronger. This is due to the fact that CBD makes collagen tissue stronger with more tightly cross-linked molecules.

CBD For Strengthening Bones

Degenerative conditions like osteoporosis can be hard to live with as they lead to excessive pain, stiffness, immobility, and inflammation from the loss of bone density. This condition which leads to brittle bones affects 54 million Americans. This is caused by a loss of collagen which makes up our bones and is directly linked to weakness in bones. There are not many effective treatments for this condition and pain medications are often prescribed to help patients get through the day. CBD is the perfect non-addictive treatment that can actually help repair instead of just keeping the pain at bay without treating the root of the problem.

Pain Relief

If like most people you have experienced a fracture the one thing you may remember is the pain. Many people are given prescription pain medications to handle the waves of discomfort but there are always concerns of addiction and overdose. CBD comes in handy here as it has almost no side effects and is a non-addictive, natural pain suppressant. Taking CBD orally or using some form of pain relief topical spray can help with recovery and reduce pain and stiffness caused by injury.

Topical Products to Fight Pain

There are many alternatives to traditional, addictive medications. Cannabis topicals can be applied to the affected area and provide significant, fast relief.

• Mary+Wanda CBD Pain Relief Cream: This soothing cream has 120 mg of CBD and is here to provide relief to those sore bones and muscles. It’s an all-natural option made with Canadian plants in Vancouver.
• Mermaid for You Heaven Roller: This roll-on product is designed to help relieve stress and pain. It contains 300mg per roller. They suggest applying it either directly to the affected area or behind the ears, on the temples, or on the wrists. These are thinner areas of skin that will help the feeling of herbal relief reach the bloodstream more quickly.
• CBD Transdermal Patch: Reap the benefits of CBD for a full 24 hours with our transdermal patch formulation. These patches have been specifically designed to relieve inflammation and pain in localized areas, as well as provide full-body relaxation and anxiety relief.

Studies

With the rebirth of interest in cannabis since legalization there has been a surge in studies done to uncover its potential benefits. These are some of the most interesting studies done on bone mass that prove CBD has the therapeutic potential to help weak bones.

• 2009: International Immunopharmacology featured a study that uses CBD to treat periodontitis. This is a chronic infection of the gums which can lead to bone destruction of the teeth, gums, and jaw. They gave rats 5 milligrams of CBD and found that it reduced inflammation and bone loss in the animals.
• 2015: An Israeli study that was conducted by Donald Abrams at the University of California shows that cannabis not only heals bones more quickly but also decreases the pain associated with the fracture.
• 2015: One of the most popular studies done this year was conducted by DR. Yankel Gabet of the Bone Research Laboratory at Tel Aviv University. It studies the effect of cannabis on rats who have suffered from mid-femoral fractures. "It is likely that many patients suffering from bone fractures consume cannabis that may have beneficial or adverse effects on the healing process," Gabet said.
• 2017: Another study that was published in the European Journal of Pharmacology looks at spinal cord injuries in rats. When introduced to CBD, bone volume and thickness of the cone were both enhanced. The findings showed that the severity of the injury was reduced while simultaneously preventing further bone loss.

Let us know about your experience with CBD and bone health in the comments!