Marijuana may live up to be “the elixir of life” for brain cells

[emad]

A study by University of Saskatchewan researchers suggests beneficial aspects of smoking marijuana at least among rats, who appear to have sprouted new brain cells and besides benefiting from reduced depression and anxiety. The study's results appearing in the 'Journal of Clinical Investigation' have actually given a fillip to the traditional and mythological view that associates the addictive weed in some ways with immortality.

The Canadian researchers led by Xia Zhang, suggested that the illicit substance marijuana actually may promote new brain cells in region of the brain called the hippocampus that is associated with memory. They concluded that marijuana was possibly “the only illicit drug whose capacity to produce increased neurons is positively correlated with its (anti-anxiety) and anti-depressant-like effects”.

For the study, the researchers injected laboratory rats two times everyday for 10 days with HU210, a synthetic cannabinoid chemical (obtained from marijuana) and evaluated them against a normal group. The rats that underwent the HU210 injections developed new nerve cells in the brain's hippocampus dentate gyrus region of the brain that facilitates memory development. The injections also appeared to counter depression and anxiety, but could not be held as 100 percent akin to smoking marijuana, which the researchers felt would require additional studies.

Zhang suggested that the study did indicate that marijuana could have its medical uses particularly “for the treatment of anxiety and depression”. But these results are unlikely to buy the favor with the US administration or the possibility of legalization on medical grounds. In fact only recently the US Supreme Court ruled against marijuana growth or possession for medical reasons.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/4241.html

[demnan]

1. No wonder the right wing are so against it

brain cells are their worst enemy.

[whatever4]

2. I'm hoping this brings the senior crowd on board

If there's any demographic that needs help with medications, it's the seniors. I sure hope these recent finding about "new brain cells" and "benefiting from reduced depression and anxiety" help it happen.

I mean, folks are already choosing between food and medication, and things aren't even "bad" yet with our economy. Come ON, make some sense, you know what I mean??

[sam sarrha]

3. this is a fascinating read.. History covered up.. ...

http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html

hemp have been part of our history, even the War of 1812 was about hemp.

the most prescribed drug until aspirin.. and they say they dont know if it is safe.. that is the paper/cotton/petroleum companies lies.

my brother the Police Captain said he would much rather have the crack heads smoking dope at home watching tv and eating potato chips.

here is the truth..
http://www.naihc.org/

[Mabus]

4. "Grass" is a great movie

that is both fun to watch and educational. The "bad" guys are mostly the alcohol and pharm cos. Anslinger, the guy who led the outlawing of dope was the nephew-in-law of the DuPonts. It's a pretty eye-opening documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0214730/

[SteppingRazor]

5. Interesting, but does rat behavior necessarily transfer?

Speaking from my own experience -- and I'll go toe-to-toe with anybody when it comes to personal experience with this subject -- marijuana doesn't necessarily decrease anxiety. It can actually make it a lot worse -- panic attacks are a bitch.

[htuttle]

6. I think it's hard to generalize pot's psychological effects

To a certain extent, it does affect many people differently (within certain parameters). That's one of the reasons it's considered "psychotropic" -- it affects all sort of intangibles like 'mood' and 'perception' (which are things we hardly understand anyway), and those things are relative to the person AND the environment they are in (ie., 'set' and 'setting' as Dr. Leary said).

The physical effects of pot are far more predictable, though. It helps decrease the intraocular pressure for everyone, no matter their psychological reaction to it, for example. I would expect a physical effect like increased brain cell growth to be much more predictable as well.


on edit: speling. I said 'interocular', which is where your nose is, instead of 'intraocular'.

[SteppingRazor]

7. True enough.

Brain cell growth and other physical features should be observable and quantifiable. Just pointing out that the more "X-factor" side of weed use cannot necessariy be quatified.

As to Leary, screw that guy! There's two types of acid users in the world, the Leary type and the Kesey type. I'm a Kesey. Calm settings and meditation are for sissies. All hail freak power! :silly:

[htuttle]

8. Dude, knock it off -- you're tweaking my 2nd Neurocircuit

AAAAAAuuuuuuuuMMMMMM.......

:freak:

[mainegreen]

9. Perhaps thats true

but thats no help, since its awfully hard to get anything to go from short term memory to long term memory when your stoned.

[NNadir]

10. It kind of flies in the face of my own experience with pot and pot heads.

Maybe the real result is that there are more brain cells, but fewer functioning cells.

In any case, this compund is a synthetic drug derived from a cannabinoid. As was the case where shikimic acid starting from star anise was confused with with the synthetic analogue requiring 12 synthetic steps oseltamavir (Tamiflu), recently discussed in another thread here, it does not follow that the natural product (pot) works at all simply because something derived from it worked. The lead line that this implies beneficial effects from pot smoking is wrong. It implies no such thing.

My own opinion is that marijuana is bad for you. I'm not saying I favor the drug laws - I don't - but I'm not about to promote the stuff either.