Marijuana Advocates Say The Herb Can Treat Another Serious Illness.

They claim the active ingredient THC has been shown to help fight Alzheimer's disease. About 4.5 million Americans suffer from the disease which gradually destroys memory. According to Fox News, cases of Alzheimer's disease are expected to triple over the next 50 years.

People with Alzheimer's have an enzyme in their brain called acetylcholinesterase or AChE for short, that does two things: first it accelerates the formation of abnormal protein clumps in the brain, and second, it breaks down a brain chemical that is linked to memory and learning. The main ingredient in marijuana, THC, inhibits this enzyme. THC could completely prevent the formation of abnormal clumping unlike the two medications already used to fight Alzheimer's - -- donepezil and tacrine which only reduce clumping by 22 and 7 percent, respectively.

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