As the use of medical marijuana continues to rise throughout the country, a new study has found a new possible health benefit of the drug – it could help drivers survive accidents involving traumatic brain injuries.
The new research is based on a study conducted by the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center of 446 patients who suffered traumatic brain injuries, and found that those with THC in their system ended up having lower mortality rates than those who didn’t.
The death rate connected to traumatic brain injuries fell from 11.5 percent in patients without THC, to 2.4 percent in cases of people with the active marijuana ingredient in their systems, according to the study.
While previous studies showing similar results were conducted on animals, the latest was the first to show the connection in humans.
“There are medical benefits to marijuana that aren’t as robustly studied,” study author Brian Nguyen told the L.A. Weekly. “Further research needs to be done on this controversial compound.”
It is pointed out that THC can remain in the body for up to a month, so a person would not have to be high at the time of injury to reap the reported benefits.
Currently, marijuana is permitted for medical purposes in 23 states and is legal for recreational use in two - Colorado and Washington.
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