Posted on 10/13/2005 9:49:35 PM PDT by traumer
A chemical found in cannabis can act like an antidepressant, researchers have found.
A team from Canada's University of Sasketchewan suggest the compound causes nerve cells to regenerate.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation study showed rats given a cannabinoid were less anxious and less depressed.
But UK experts warned other conflicting research had linked cannabis, and other cannabinoids, to an increased risk of depression and anxiety.
They suggested this could be because different cannabinoids acting at different levels have contradictory effects.
Cannabinoids have been shown to relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and pain relief in humans.
They are naturally present in the body, as well as being found in cannabis.
'Complicated effects'
The Canadian researchers gave rats injections of high levels of one artificial cannabinoid, HU210, for a month.
The animals were seen to have nerve cell regeneration in the hippocampus, which is linked to memory and emotions.
The hippocampus has been shown to generate new nerve cells throughout a person's or an animal's life, but this ability is reduced if cells are engineered to lack a cannabinoid receptor protein called CB-1.
In the Canadian study, rats given the cannabinoid were also found to be less anxious, and more willing to eat food in new environments - a change which would normally frighten them.
However, research has previously linked use of the drug cannabis to long-term damage to mental health, and to increase the risk of mental illness in those who are already genetically susceptible.
In addition, short-term high doses of cannabinoids had also been shown to produce anxiety-like effects in rats and depression-like effects in mice.
But other studies had found that low-doses of cannabinoids helped to reduce anxiety in rodents.
The Canadian team said: "These complicated effects of high and low doses of acute and chronic exposure to cannabinoids may explain the seemingly conflicting results observed in clinical studies regarding the effects of cannabinoid on anxiety and depression."
'Raw cannabis is risky'
Professor Robin Murray, of the Institute of Psychiatry, questioned whether the anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects seen in the animals would be replicated in humans.
He said: "This is a very big leap of faith as they have no data on humans, and the supposed animals' models of anxiety and depression that they use don't have much in common with the human conditions."
Paul Corry, Director of campaigns and communication at Rethink said: "Cannabinoids are an exciting new area for medical research, but it is important to recognise that there are over 60 active ingredients in cannabis - synthetic cannabinoid may be showing evidence of nerve regeneration.
"But as also pointed out in this study, the effects of cannabis on the brain are complex and produce conflicting evidence.
"For most people with severe mental illness, raw cannabis remains a risky substance.
"All medical research needs to be checked before it would make a difference to the hundreds of thousands of people living with severe mental illness in the UK."
Uh, perhaps successful, smart and happy people who smoke pot don't tend to share that fact with a lot of people, seeing as it is an illegal substance that a significant portion of society still disapproves of? I'd be willing to bet that you have many acquaintances who partake that you have no idea about.
Uh, perhaps successful, smart and happy people who smoke pot don't tend to share that fact with a lot of people, seeing as it is an illegal substance that a significant portion of society still disapproves of? I'd be willing to bet that you have many acquaintances who partake that you have no idea about.
Where is your proof it is a myth? Do you have a citation?
I did say it was anecdotal evidence but I don't know one, single successful person who continued to smoke grass on a daily basis after college and I know a lot of people.
i'm just offering you my personal experience, goonie. Take it for what its worth.
I should ask you where your proof is that pot smokers are taking in more THC than they did 30 years ago? Even if the marijuana is stronger nowadays, that doesn't prove that an individual smokes as much as they did with less potent strains.
What's a "habitual meth user", and is that different than an addict or being "hooked"?
Whoa! Now what do they mean by "methamphetamine abuse"? Is that "habitual"? Or does that mean a whole bunch at once? Does someone who's "hooked" abuse meth, or only addicts do that? Or habitual meth users?
Hey radioman, since this is so clear to you, maybe you can explain it to the rest of us.
I don't consider a person getting f^&*ed up on drugs to be "free". Just the opposite, as a matter of fact. So maybe you'll want to rephrase that.
Something like, "Let's see how many conservatives are believers in irresponsible, selfish hedonism."
According to the DEA:
"1 in 7 high school students will try meth";
"99 percent of first-time meth users are hooked after just the first try";
"only 5 percent of meth addicts are able to kick it and stay away";
"the life expectancy of a habitual meth user is only 5 years."
Do the math.
13.4 percent of Americans die as a result of methamphetamine abuse within five years of graduating from high school.
According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 20 million 15-to-19-year-olds in the U.S., so we are talking about hundreds of thousands of deaths a year, and that's not even counting people who start using meth after high school.
Hundreds of thousands of teen deaths every year from meth!
Where are the bodies?
I see you didn't provide a link. And for good reason!
You didn't get that off of a DEA site.
It isn't on a DEA site.
You most likely got it off of reason.com, which you plagarized without giving credit to.
The list you posted (same as reason.com) is misquoted by reason.com inorder to make a false point (Do the math).
So, you have been totally outed for:
1. Lying
2. Plagarizing
3. Altering posted information to suit your own gains.
4. Not verifying your information before posting.
That's why we trust NOTHING you post.
No. The "Meth is Death" is NOT a DEA website.
Lie or honest mistake? (1)
No. Not according to DEA. According to reason.com as they posted falsely. But at least they were honest enough to credit the right source when they altered the information inorder to prove their false point. (2)
You're assuming people buy alcohol for the same reason they buy pot. Not a good assumption. At all.
Look at the marijuana seed ads on the internet. They discuss the level of "high" you get, and how kick-a$$ potent it is.
Many people drink low-proof beer and wine, and very few liquor drinkers go for the 190 proof stuff.
No. You did not get this from your claimed source since it is not what is posted on any DEA site and when reason.com posted it on their source, they posted it incorrectly. Are they lying or was it an honest mistake?
Because the amount of coffee consumed in those particular states is almost double the national average.
Hmmmmm. Had you going there, didn't I? Thought you overlooked something, didn't you?
Well, the fact that I made you think demonstrates that there may be many other factors involved. All can contribute, one way or the other.
Your attempt to isolate and compare only two of them (pot and mental illness) is faulty.
According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 20 million 15-to-19-year-olds in the U.S., so we are talking about hundreds of thousands of deaths a year, and that's not even counting people who start using meth after high school.
Here is the reason.com post. Much is word for word in your post. It looks like you have plagarized some, altered other content and omitted content to 'make your point'. Honest mistake? hmmmm. At least reason.com gave the proper credit when they altered the actual wording to suit their purpose ... But then again, they, like you, didn't link. Typical. Post a lie and hope most people will be gullible and believe it without bothering to check the truth.
--------------------------reason.com--------------------
Do the math (which the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference clearly didn't), and you will see that 13.4 percent of Americans die as a result of methamphetamine abuse within five years of graduating from high school.
According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 20 million 15-to-19-year-olds in the U.S., so we are talking about hundreds of thousands of deaths a year, and that's not even counting people who start using meth after high school.
And sooner or later, Protagoras will show up on the thread and post, "No minds will be changed, very few different poster will participate in the thread. There will be lots of name calling and innuendo. Business as usual."
Oh, wait. You're Protagoras, and you've already posted that. My bad.
Well, that should do it. We're all here. The circle is complete.
I don't give a damn if you think it's "irresponsible, selfish hedonism". Freedom means freedom from others, freedom from people like you that believe they know what is best for everyone else.
Mind your own damn business and mind mine.
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