Commentary on the Role of Medicinal Cannabis in Healthy Aging and Neuroprotection

Abstract

Physiological aging (PA) is an inevitable neurodegenerative process (NPs) during which cognitive functions decline. The increase in the number of older adults in the global population, which is due to the rising life expectancy observed in recent years and projected to continue, is a major contributing factor to the increased incidence of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). This represents a significant challenge and constitutes an elevated cost for healthcare systems [1]. As many biological mechanisms are deregulated, the etiology of PA remains a topic of debate within the medicalscientific community. The central nervous system (CNS) is highly vulnerable to PA; thus, research on possible therapies that mitigate the changes that occur in the aged brain is crucial for delaying its onset or improving life quality. Although numerous studies have examined possible strategies to prevent a single or only a few of the multiple processes that contribute to neurodegeneration in PA, none of them has been successful in mitigating all or most of these changes. As a result, the scientific community has focused on research aimed at finding multitarget therapies that can promote healthy aging.