A “concussion pill” under development in Miami using cannabis is showing progress for treatment of traumatic brain injuries.

In a pre-clinical study, the combination of a hemp-derived cannabinoid and an NMDA amino acid anesthetic is showing improved cognitive function in rodents with traumatic brain injuries compared with individual components.

“The results were statistically significant and encouraging,” Scythian’s Jonathan Gilbert, who manages the University of Miami partnership, told UPI. “This evidence strongly suggests further testing is warranted on medical cannabis’ potential in the treatment of trauma to the brain.”

The medication displayed no adverse effects from the combination therapy or the individual components.

In Phase 2 research, a few humans will likely be administered the compounds in pill form to a control group and two groups of TBI patients, acute and chronic.

The third phase will be a full-scale clinical trial over the next three years if the treatment is determined to be deemed safe and effective. The researchers plans to study the effectiveness in other injury models.

Then it would need to be evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an effective therapeutic treatment for those suffering from TBI and concussion.

See the original article at UPI