The University of Kentucky is part of the so-called Libby study named for a late stage dementia patient who's inspired researchers to look at alternative ways to help dementia patients with agitation, anxiety and depression.

Those include ways to use cannabis.

The study looks at THC and CBD compounds found in cannabis and how they can help with dementia.

More on this in tonight's look at medical news.

Like all medicines, we have to go through clinical trials to prove whether or not the medicine actually helps and to make sure that it doesn't have side effects.

And medical marijuana is really no different.

And so we all know that recently Kentucky has approved medical marijuana and it's improved for many different conditions.

But dementia, comfort care in the later stages of disease is not one of those indications.

And we really do feel that that was an oversight that needs to be corrected.

But the latest study that we're doing is addressing this point directly.

This really is a pivotal study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Nationwide, multicenter, enrolling patients, providing medical marijuana to really examine those benefits.

We have very few medicines that actually can allow someone to maintain their quality of life and yet experience comfort rather than agitation.

And medical marijuana may actually be one of those miracle drugs.

For just this purpose, we hope to see reductions in depression, reductions in anxiety due to increased appetite.

I better sleep.

The brain actually has receptors that directly into act and are stimulated by THC tetrahydrocannabinol that's in marijuana and that these are tied sleep tied to anxiety circuits, circuits that can give us a sense of peace when anxiety rises.

And so there's biologic evidence that this should work.

And there have been several early studies in dementia that have actually shown positive benefits in patients with elevated anxiety or agitation.

That medical marijuana is extremely safe and extremely effective without knocking somebody out or finding is exactly what was found in the earlier smaller studies.

Excellent safety profile.

It's not knocking people out their awake.

They're smiling with their families rather than being agitated, combative when they need to bathe or or get dressed and need assistance for those activities.

They're smiling and laughing where before this study they were miserable, crying, fearful and agitated.

So anecdotal, we were seeing tremendous benefit.

But the study needs to complete.

Although the study is underway, Dr. Gikas says they're struggling nationally and in Lexington to find patients for it.

Find out more about the study at Libbey Study.

Dot org.