Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jul 2015 Source: Buffalo News (NY) Copyright: 2015 The Buffalo News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61 ELEMENT IN MARIJUANA FOUND TO HELP HEAL BROKEN BONES TEL AVIV - There's yet another use for marijuana: It may help to heal broken bones, according to a new study. Researchers found that cannabidiol - an element of marijuana that does not get people high improved the healing process in rats with broken leg bones after eight weeks, according to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research by Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University. Yankel Gabet of Tel Aviv's Bone Research Laboratory who led the study, said it found that the element "makes bones stronger during healing," which could prevent future fractures. This process occurs as cannabidiol, or CBD, enhances the maturation of collagen, the protein in connective tissue that "holds the body together." "After being treated with CBD, the healed bone will be harder to break in the future," Gabet said in a news release. The results of the study provide another glimpse into the potential health benefits of marijuana. Medicinal marijuana is already used to reduce some of the effects associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients. It is also used as treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Marijuana is still largely illegal across the world and in the United States. But marijuana prescribed for medical uses is legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Washington Post - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom