ALS and Exogenous Cannabinoids

ALS is a progressive neurological disorder whose origins escape orthodox medicine, as does any effective treatment, leaving diagnosed patients with a grim diagnosis of an average of 2-5 years to live with signs and symptoms progressively worsening, causing severe distress and reduction in quality of life. As such, a better understanding of what’s causing ALS and, perhaps more importantly, finding effective treatment options are sorely needed.

For the past 25 years, researchers have been hypothesizing that dysfunctional endocannabinoid signaling may contribute to the underlying pathology of ALS, particularly through its role in regulating neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity—all of which are central to ALS progression.

In one of the latest reviews of the available scientific literature, this team of researchers describes that cannabis-based therapeutics, such as cannabinoids THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA, and CBG, terpenes such as beta-caryophyllene, limonene, linalool, pinene, and flavonoids (e.g., Cannflavin A/B) may induce antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects and as such may prolong neuronal cell survival, delay onset of the disease state, and slows progression of the disease. Furthermore, the authors write: “Although research in humans remains limited, a few studies suggest that cannabis and CBD, in humans, provide benefits for both motor symptoms, including rigidity, cramps, and fasciculations, and non‐motor symptoms including sleep quality, pain, emotional state, quality of life, and depression.” (T. Denton et al., 2025)