A new study published in the most recent issue of the journal Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, and published online by theNational Institute of Health, has found that activation of the body’s CB2 receptors – something done naturally by the consumption of cannabis – can rescue the brain from alcohol-induced neural damage.

“Chronic alcohol exposure reduces endocannabinoid activity and disrupts adult neurogenesis in rodents, which results in structural and functional alterations”, claims the study’s abstract. “Cannabinoid receptor agonists [such as cannabis] promote adult neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation.”

For the study, researchers “evaluated the protective effects of the selective CB1 receptor agonist ACEA, the selective CB2 receptor agonist JWH133 and the fatty-acid amide-hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597, which enhances endocannabinoid receptor activity, on NPC proliferation in rats with forced consumption of ethanol (10%) or sucrose liquid diets for 2 weeks.”

After conducting the study, researchers found that; “These results indicated that the specific activation of...