Strains Useful to Alzheimers/Dementia Patients

Hey y’all,

this has been my project for the last 3yrs. My mother in law has early onset alz/dem brought on by her chemo treatments for lymphoma.

long story short, research was conducted with MJ and alz/dem patients by doctors in a few different countries : Canada, Mexico and Spain. the studies started in the late 80’s and ran off and on through the 90s and into the 2000s when the american alzheimer’s society got involved (late to the party!). several strains were tested over those years. names came and went and others remained. i started compiling those names and came up with what i referred to as the list of 15’s or simply “the list”.
the list consisted of the top 15 names that continually came up in studies showing positive results. there were an additional 24 that came up frequently and lasted through several years of testing or were new(er) and had showed renewed promising results.

the medical studies did NOT get technical with strains at all - who’s cuts, which breeder, who’s seeds, who’s lineage, where they were getting it from or anything like that. so don’t ask. i don’t know and they didn’t ever say. they were more concerned with:

  1. does it work?
  2. does it check these boxes?
  3. is it working well enough that we want to continue testing it?
    if the answers were “yes” they they mentioned it and continued to work with it/test it/recommend it.
    being that the case, their data may be a bit skewed if the consistency of breed and seed were not really adhered to. maybe it was, but they never revealed their sources for the studies. it wasn’t quite legal worldwide back in the 80s and 90s.

on to the list. i did not list these in any particular order other than acapulco gold. that one has always been in the testing since the beginning and was still being mentioned in more recent (2000s) tests/articles. so i’d consider it #1. it was the first one we tested on abuela also and it is only one of 2 that work as advertised for her. the 2nd being Grandaddy Purple. the only other two that tested good for her (so far - have more to go) without negative side effects were OG Kush and Blue Dream.

TOP 15 Strains for Alz/Dem

  1. Acapulco Gold
  2. Purple Kush
  3. OG Kush
  4. Sour Diesel
  5. Green Crack
  6. White Russian
  7. Strawberry Lemonade
  8. LSD
  9. Bubba Kush
  10. The OX
  11. Lavender
  12. Dutch Dragon
  13. Grandaddy Purple
  14. Godfather OG
  15. Blissful Wizard

24 Honorable Mentions (again in no particular order)
note: to be fair it might be worthwhile to mention that super silver haze and super lemon haze could have knocked blissful wizard and dutch dragon out of the list of 15s. and considering how easy it is to find BW or DD, i would say they should.

  1. Super Silver Haze
  2. Super Lemon Haze
  3. Gorilla glue #4
  4. Moby Dick
  5. Northern lights
  6. Blue dream
  7. Girl Scout Cookies
  8. Jack Herer
  9. White widow
  10. Amnesia Haze
  11. Blackberry kush
  12. The White
  13. Cannatonic
  14. Bio Jesus
  15. Lavender Haze
  16. Lavender Kush
  17. Skunk #1
  18. NYC Diesel
  19. Purple Punch
  20. Purple Haze
  21. Candyland
  22. Charlottes Web
  23. Gelato
  24. Mimosa

And from what i can gather once they started discovering the entourage effect and getting into the terpenes and their effects i compiled this list of useful/helpful terpenes:

The Terpines List

A List
A-Pinene
B-Caryophyllene
B-Ocimene
Linalool
Limonene
Myrcene

B List
Delta 3 Carene
Eucalyptol/Cineole
Geraniol
Humulene
Borneol

Edit: 09/29/23 - adding Borneol to the list of terpenes. thanks @Addams_family_farm

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I d love to have some data on the effect of taking those medications and seeing the results on the degenerative illness.
Too bad I have not found any proof yet that cannabis can help with those illness.Do you have some study datas?
@Til_Valhalla

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I have some super silver haze fems I’d be willing to part with for such a worthy cause. Shoot me your deets and I’ll send a 5 pk your way.

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Also check out strains that have borneol in them its a minor terpene in cannabis but could help… this link shows strains that have borneol in it Terpene Tuesdays: Everything You Need To Know About Borneol Flavor, Fragrance, And Benefits

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First, I wish anyone that is in care giving to help the Altz/Dementia folks, bless you!
It’s one of the horrors, my wife and I worry about, in our later years in life.
We have made some tinctures, and edibles to help with folks an IBS issue, seizure control in dogs and humans, and some drops that gave some folks an upbeat feeling.
My wife controls her night sweats and restless leg syndrome. I recently, started to cap up decarboxylated bud with some Lecithin , in 00 sized capsules, that are working most excellently for her
I worked with a MS lady also, to find her an aid to unclaw her hands and upper body, every morning, with a few puffs of bud in a blow, her husband holds and lights it for her, so she can just puff. 10-15 minutes with weed, 45 minutes to an hour with out weed.
Most folks seem to find some relief with very simple butter infusing.
I did make once a tincture using the old Green Dragon method, with some Polyethylene glycol, decarboxylated buds, placed into a crock pot, on a trivet, 5-6 1/2 pint jars, sealed, heated for 4 hours, cooled for 4 hours, and shaken violently, while hot, for a 10 day period. I did add some vegetable glycerin to give it a more pleasant taste.
That tincture, did help a 92 year old lady, go from sitting around waiting for end of days, to getting back outside to work in her flower garden. It worked amazing for her, until her cannabis hater, other son, told her it was weed, and once she finished that 4 ounce dropper jar, she would not take it anymore.
The son, that had me make this for her, told me, her mood was positive and up beat, the few months she took the drops, sublingually, 2 times a day.
But old fears still make folks fearful in Cannabis use.
.
But man, Alzheimer’s and Dementia are different

With all that said, IF, I was going into this fist fight, I’d forget strain names all together. I found a dog seizure medication (Phenol Barbital) replacement in a big hermaphrodite plant, that was 3 weeks into flowering, As it started growing balls, it was also coating leaf in trichomes, well just starting.
I did a strip and rip, and stuffed all of it, into a clean garbage bag, and poked that into my freezer. The dog got meds for 7 years from that plant, right up until he passed away from old age.
I’d look into the wealth of information at the https://hopkinspsychedelic.org/ to see if anything was done there.
Everything in cannabis is mostly to fuck bitches up, potent strains, all for recreational users, with the exception of the CBD strains. I’ve talked with folks that seems to get some relief from CBD.
It’s hard when working with folks, as one thing may work a treat for this person, and the next person I try it with, they look at me, with the WTF, this is doing nothing!
I know that link, states nothing with cannabis helps, but I’d piss on an electrified fence, before I just give the fuck up!
I wish you all the best, in your journey!!
Just my $.02 webe

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Excellent site!! Marked and membered!

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Thanks friend.Basically you are saying to try different strains till that Person finds relief and then select that specific strain,am I getting It right?

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Interesting,I am Reading It !

I almost had my husband in a study but he wasn’t at the right stage and/or meds,
The interesting thing is, his Gerontologist was the one that started me growing for him.
His GP doc fired him as a patient because of his use.

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Love this! Thank you for sharing ! My grandmother just went through this but unfortunately passed not that long ago. My father has been showing symptoms and it breaks my heart. Would absolutely love to be able to help him out as I already know he’s cool with cannabis. I’ve been reading/researching somewhat but it’s mostly overwhelming tbch. Thank you again @Til_Valhalla

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ok. figured someone would want my research data.

so. when i started this project, it began on an old laptop. had about 9 months of research in and decided “hey… it might be a good idea to start saving some of the links because i keep referring back to certain articles and papers.” so i started documenting. about 3 months later, laptop got fried in a lightning storm. everything lost. even tried to pull data off the drive. unsuccessful.
got new desktop. got angry with myself and started taking better notes, but put it in microsoft notes which sometimes makes for difficult sharing. so bear with me.

most of the really meaty papers i read were linked PDFs in obscure places, alot were in original spanish (until the canadians got involved) so i never found a lot of them again. but i did find some and did save them away. sadly though at that time, the focus of my research had shifted to other priorities as the disease progressed so i didn’t go back and try to fill in missing pieces or tidy much of it up. i also thought it was important to have some research saved in case my door got kicked in by the DEA. (in an illegal state) i AM doing a medical grow.

what i have saved is in no particular order. i’m trying to link you all/most/some the scientific/medical articles that explain the relationship of the THC with the removal of amyloid plaques that build up between neurons and create the (brain) cellular death. these articles ~should~ be good starting points to dig deeper if you wish.
all the older stuff papers and such from original studies were tucked away in some spanish or mexican university white papers. PDF files. book sized deals. they were translated when the canadians got involved. i don’t know how or where i found them, lots of late nights just clicking links.
i also had sent a LOT of articles to my wife in emai so she could read them and we could discuss after work. if you really want me to dig through my email for them i can, but it will take some time.

otherwise, these were some of the more modern versions of the papers and research i DID save compiled in easier to read/understand formats and should be a good starting point. once the american alzheimers society got involved, things got compiled quickly as money got involved. :
but helped with links to info. there are some studies cited on their website and the dementia site also.

thanks for the interest. hope these help.

https://www.maximumyield.com/treating-alzheimers-with-high-thc-cannabis-strains/2/17626
https://wayofleaf.com/cannabis/ailments/can-cannabis-cure-alzheimers-disease

https://sundownerfacts.com/treating-dementia-with-cannabis/

https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/alzheimers.htm
http://www.alzheimers.net/2013-12-30/history-of-alzheimers/

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Very good,thank you,I ask for proofs and evidence of the effect on the illness because I have a parte of my family whos involved with those.If you care enough to share those older studies Just feel free to private text me when you find Them,Remember It Is not a request but a conversation,do not feel the urge to search.
Thank you again Brother,Hope you are doing good❤️
@Til_Valhalla

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This is one cultivar I’ve had great success with when I was a care giver. It plays very very nice with other landrace indicas. So that is a solid vote to help with your mission.

Pz :v:t2:

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that would be super silver cool of you. i DO have some of those seeds from humboldt seed co. fems. they are on deck for next year outdoors. next season should be the last round of all “the list” and honorable mention seeds i was able to find and purchase. there are many still missing.

i don’t know if you want to waste your seeds when i have a set? i will graciously accept them regardless. the longer i do this, i am finding that seeds and breeders outside the mainstream are the ones that have the amazing stuff you don’t see anywhere else. i’d love to see what you got, but don’t want to waste your seeds or postage. your call. respect either way.
thank you.

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yes. i do recall reading that one, but it wasn’t as prominent as those i listed.
it does not mean that’s wrong or new information is avail from new testing. i appreciate you joining in and throwing something new to the discussion. it’s only been my wife and i talking about this and her eyes glaze over when i talk about the ganja. she is happy to use on her mom in oil, gummie and dry vape format, but she has no hand in this end of it. her focus is on the nutrition and suppliments… and now with the introduction of a feeding tube because she stopped eating… tube feedings meal prep.

my focus has changed so many times in the last 2yrs. as the disease progresses, more symptoms present themselves. our biggest focus before they put the feeding tube in was to grow strains that would make her hungry and want to eat. she was skeletal thin.

it’s like trying to plug a sieve with 10 fingers. there will always be holes, but which ones are spewing the worst?

it’s a difficult and frustrating battle. you think you make progress sometimes. but the disease is always progressing.

i’ll have to link that book my wife has been reading. some doctors have been able to reverse the symptoms if they can catch it early enough. she got in contact with that doctor. they have a program. interesting approach. devoid of western meds for the most part.

sorry. rambling. really tired. they had to take her to the emergency room last night. did some tests. now she has parkinsons too and a urine infection.

NOTE: urine infections are VERY BAD for alzheimers patients. causes all sorts of havoc in the brain. accelerates the process. not sure how/why if it’s a bacterial issue or toxic/acidic. i didn’t get to ask the doc.

sheeze. (facepalm)

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thanks for your response. appreciate your input.

i started out by getting a machine that does decarboxylate and infusion

i would use either MCT, coconut oil or a combo of both to make oils.
from there tried brownies (she didn’t like the flavor so refused to eat them)
and that went to gummies. she liked those.
made several batches of gummies with different strains. some worked. some did not.

everything has changed now that abuela has the feeding tube in her stomach. she can’t eat anything anymore. she will choke, or aspirate and choke. her neck muscles are weak. her epiglottis no longer works to close trachea and esophagus openings respectively for her to swallow.
she can’t even drink. water.goes directly into her lungs.

had an army buddy i was discussing with and he suggested a dry vape. “wtf is a dry vape?” found a dry vape. never though she would use it but she did. actually has fun with it and tries to blow smoke rings if she’s in a good mood. (she smoked cigarettes when mywife was a little girl).

i had to modify the vape rig a little. heated up and stretched out some food safe tubing i found at home depot. put a longer tube on it to cool the vapor down and keep her from coughing and hacking her lungs out. it’s really hot with the little stems the vape rig comes with and not advisable for an older person.

and lastly i still do oils. we have had to push them in with her food through the feeding tube. she can’t take it by mouth anymore. don’t want ganja oil going into her lungs. i don’t think that would be good.
i just finished in infuse of louis xiii into coco oil. going to see if this is going to be a good backup for GDP… give her the uninterrupted nights sleep she needs.

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i’m sorry to hear that.
are you still growing for your husband? have you found any specifics that are helping him out?

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please feel free to compare notes. or ask questions.

i posted some of the study links above. i couldn’t find a lot of them (old fried laptop) and just lost focus on the research and was into the strain hunt and growing/testing after we determined we wanted to try THC/CBD on her.

the studies said that high THC content was either blocking or actually removing built up amyloid plaques built/building up in the brain. maybe start him on a regimen now?

as far as what strains to use, i’m still trying to figure that out. i have found 4 so far that work.
acapulco gold (daytime strain)
grandaddy purple (night time strain)
blue dream (daytime strain)
OG Kush (afternoon strain)

others gave negative side effects. but again, this is her. your dad may require something different. but maybe those 4 a good starting point?

good luck. do my best to answer any questions you have of what we have experienced so far.

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I recently started working at a medical dispensary about 3 weeks ago and we have a 79 year old patient named Donald, he drives to us wether anyone knows he does or not. Frankly, cannabis seems to help at least his mood but some days it seems that he remembers how to get to the dispensary more than he remembers how to do other things and that worries me. Twice now he’s shown up without his wife knowing that he had even left the house and drove to us. I’ve tried to talk to both her and his daughter when they’ve accompanied him that he needs an actual caregiver but they really won’t hear it. I do hope it’s helping not only his mood but maintaining some form of plasticity as well. His diagnosis is for his glaucoma and other chronic conditions so I’m not entirely sure why they don’t keep track of him and his use of the car because he’s not in driving shape. It has multiple dings and bumps and I’ve tried to bring it up to coworkers and even my manager but they’ve all let me know it isn’t really our responsibility, so I guess my worrying is overstepping. This thread has at least helped me understand that their is a chance it’s helping his condition.

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ok. no promises, but will spend some time later next week and see what i can dig up. if i had my old laptop’s browsing history this conversation would be simple… :frowning:

one thing you may want to try is look at both the canadian and american alzheimer’s society websites. they have/had several study reports that were posted and avail to public that were much more recent. there was one about CBD and one about THC and one that got pretty in depth on the amyloid plaques.

https://alzheimer.ca/en

https://www.alz.org/

i will look, but it’s going to be a bit.
check some of those links i posted further up above. some of them had rabbit hole links i followed and found some of those obscure research links posted at the bottoms of studies. check the bottoms of the pages for the “related material/stories” and dig into some of them. that’s how i found a lot of stuff toward the end of that phase of my research (after the laptop incident).

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