Medical Marijuana and Parkinson’s Disease
What is Parkinson’s Disease? Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a failure in dopamine production. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter whose role is to control the reward and pleasure centers in the brain. In addition, it is responsible for regulating movement and emotional responses. When the cells that produce dopamine start to die, symptoms of Parkinson's Disease can appear. It is estimated that 1 in every 500 Canadians will develop Parkinson's Disease in their lifetime. Approximately 100,000 people are currently living with this disease and another 6,600 cases are diagnosed each year1. Most individuals who are diagnosed with PD are over the age of 60, but there is a small number (10%) of individuals under the age of 50 who are affected. The most common symptoms of Parkinson's Disease are tremors, slowness, stiffness, impaired balance and rigid muscles. Additional symptoms can also include fatigue, speech issues or soft speech, issues with writing or hand movement, poor posture and sleep disturbances. Typically Parkinson’s Disease occurs in five stages: 1. Stage One is mild and characterized by tremors in the hands and body. 2. Stage Two sees a worsening of symptoms; tremors may impact both sides of the body, mobility become an issue. 1
https://www.ucb-canada.ca/en/Patients/Conditions/Parkinson-s-Disease