Volume 29, Issue 163, September 2025

Effects of cannabinoids on neurodegenerative diseases

Marek Żygłowicz^1♦, Adam Torbicki², Michał Korpalski³, Maria Pawluczyk⁴, Krzysztof Pawlikowski⁵, Mateusz Marciniak⁶, Dominik Augustyn⁷, Piotr Gaworek⁸, Alicja Trybuła⁹

¹Ludwik Rydygier Specialist Hospital, Złota Jesień 1 Street, 31-826 Kraków, Poland
²Nicolaus Copernicus Hospital, COPERNICUS Medical Entity limited liability company under Polish law, Nowe Ogrody 1/6 Street, 80-803 Gdańsk, Poland
³Dr. Tytus Chałubiński Radom Specialist Hospital, Adolfa Tochtermana 1 Street, 26-610 Radom, Poland
⁴District Hospital in Sochaczew, Batalionów Chłopskich 3/7 Street, 96- 500 Sochaczew, Poland
⁵University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1A Street, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
⁶Mikołaj Kopernik Provincial Multi-Specialist Center of Oncology and Traumatology Pabianicka 62, 93-513 Łódź, Poland
⁷Ludwik Rydygier Specialist Hospital, Złota Jesień 1 Street, 31-826 Kraków, Poland
⁸Międzyleski Specialist Hospital in Warsaw, Bursztynowa 2 Street, 04- 749 Warsaw, Poland, 0009-0006-0446-8067
⁹Kazimierz Pułaski University of Technology and Humanities in Radom: Radom, Mazovia, PL Jacka Malczewskiego 29, 26-600 Radom, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Marek Żygłowicz, Ludwik Rydygier Specialist Hospital, Złota Jesień 1 Street, 31-826 Kraków, Poland

ABSTRACT

Cannabinoids, a group of chemical compounds naturally occurring in cannabis, are attracting growing interest in the medical world due to their therapeutic potential. Although more than 120 cannabinoids, both exogenous and endogenous, have been identified, today's work will focus on two. Although both compounds interact with the human endocannabinoid system, their mechanisms of action and effects on the body differ significantly, which is crucial for their clinical applications. Neurodegenerative diseases are a broad and complex group of diseases, the most common of which are Alzheimer's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s, which pose a serious problem for modern medicine due to their progressive nature and resistance to treatment. Despite extensive research efforts, discovering successful treatments for these conditions remains a challenge. Recently, there has been increasing interest in cannabinoids—compounds that naturally occur in cannabis—due to their neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and endocannabinoid system-modulating properties. These qualities are opening new therapeutic avenues for treatment.

Keywords: THC, CBD, neurodegenerative, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e187ms3717

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i163.e187ms3717

Published: 29 September 2025