Until recently, there was a perception in the medical community that THC, the psychoactive substance in cannabis, could be responsible for cases of osteoporosis in young people. Research on this issue has shown that it can be so. THC slowed bone regeneration and made bone density lower in young marijuana smokers. These results were confirmed by a team of researchers from Edinburgh, which recently published their results on mice in Cell Metabolism. The study assumed that THC would interact with the CB1 receptor, which is responsible for the bone mineralization process, which causes fat cells to appear in the bones in the elderly, thus reducing their strength.

To the scientists' surprise, the older animals in which the study was conducted showed exactly the opposite results to what was observed in the young. THC really delayed the course of osteoporosis. The Arthritis Research Campaign, a rheumatic diseases and osteoporosis foundation, described these results as promising and hopeful for 30% of the female population and 12% of the male population who will experience bone density problems in their lifetime. In the near future, this organization will conduct research on people, in which it will be determined why the same drug may have different effects in people of different age, and what conditions should be created for its positive effects to outweigh the negative effects of taking THC. This could be a quantum leap in the fight against osteoporosis.