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New drug acts as marijuana in the brain
UPI ^ | 12-13-2005

Posted on 12/13/2005 11:39:56 PM PST by Babu

MONTREAL, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A McGill University study suggests a new anti-depressant drug works by raising levels of endocannabinoids -- similar to a substance found in marijuana.

The study suggests the new drug, called URB597, might represent a safer alternative to use of marijuana for treatment of pain and depression, and open the door to new and improved treatments for clinical depression.

In pre-clinical laboratory tests researchers found URB597 increased the production of endocannabinoids by blocking their degradation, resulting in measurable antidepressant effects.

"This is the first time it has been shown a drug that increases endocannabinoids in the brain can improve your mood," said lead investigator Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a researcher at Montreal and McGill Universities.

(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: libertarians; wodlist
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1 posted on 12/13/2005 11:39:56 PM PST by Babu
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To: Babu

Well, there's no shortage of pot-heads in Montreal to use as test subjects :-)


2 posted on 12/13/2005 11:51:12 PM PST by American in Singapore (Who needs Comedy Central when we have liberals?)
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To: Babu
Whoa !! Dude !! Cool !!

So like, where can I score some ???

3 posted on 12/14/2005 12:31:42 AM PST by Drammach (Freedom; not just a job, it's an adventure..)
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To: Babu

If it's based on Marijuana it shouldn't be approved.


4 posted on 12/14/2005 12:37:33 AM PST by balch3
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To: balch3

Sure it should, as long as it is prescribed by a doctor for a real ailment.


5 posted on 12/14/2005 1:04:26 AM PST by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: Babu
And, this is GOOD news? Too many people relying on meds for their problems. I was put on some pain meds last winter for very bad back problems, I will never go on any meds like that again.

What the doctors fail to inform the patients of, is how addictive most of these meds are & how hard it is to withdraw from them. I thought I was going to die trying to get off those meds.

During that time, I had an opportunity to talk to many other people addicted to meds due to pain or depression & how much more difficult these meds made their lives, instead of relieving the pain or problems they had to begin with.

6 posted on 12/14/2005 1:31:54 AM PST by blondee123 (Close our borders to illegals! Don't try to appease us!)
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To: Babu
If this drug is indeed approved and legalized, then there is no reason to keep marijuana illegal. Even if doctors are prescribing it under certain restrictions, the whole debate under the safety of marijuana is undermined and the basis on which it is currently illegal is completely void.

However, I would like to get my hands on some of this.
7 posted on 12/14/2005 8:29:02 AM PST by justt bloomin ("Political correctness is really the only form of hate speech." Mike Adams, UNC-W)
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To: Babu
This is the first time it has been shown a drug that increases endocannabinoids in the brain can improve your mood

Not true. Millions of people have testified that cannabinoids improve their mood. Thats why they smoke it.

8 posted on 12/14/2005 10:19:15 AM PST by bird4four4
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To: Babu

BTTT


9 posted on 12/14/2005 12:05:39 PM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: Babu
Here's the title and abstract behind the UPI story.

Antidepressant-like activity and modulation of brain monoaminergic transmission by blockade of anandamide hydrolysis

Although anecdotal reports suggest that cannabis may be used to alleviate symptoms of depression, the psychotropic effects and abuse liability of this drug prevent its therapeutic application. The active constituent of cannabis, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, acts by binding to brain CB1 cannabinoid receptors, but an alternative approach might be to develop agents that amplify the actions of endogenous cannabinoids by blocking their deactivation. Here, we show that URB597, a selective inhibitor of the enzyme fatty-acid amide hydrolase, which catalyzes the intracellular hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid anandamide, exerts potent antidepressant-like effects in the mouse tail-suspension test and the rat forced-swim test. Moreover, URB597 increases firing activity of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus and noradrenergic neurons in the nucleus locus ceruleus. These actions are prevented by the CB1 antagonist rimonabant, are accompanied by increased brain anandamide levels, and are maintained upon repeated URB597 administration. Unlike direct CB1 agonists, URB597 does not exert rewarding effects in the conditioned place preference test or produce generalization to the discriminative effects of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in rats. The findings support a role for anandamide in mood regulation and point to fatty-acid amide hydrolase as a previously uncharacterized target for antidepressant drugs.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the next class of drugs for treating high blood pressure takes advantage of the endocannabinergic system.

Endocannabinoids acting at cannabinoid-1 receptors regulate cardiovascular function in hypertension.

10 posted on 12/14/2005 9:27:23 PM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: Babu; freepatriot32; Annie03; Blue Jays; BroncosFan; billybudd; hellbilly; Protagoras; radiohead; ..

Thanks for posting this. I had no idea endocannabinoids were actually produced in the human body.


11 posted on 12/15/2005 1:04:12 PM PST by FreeKeys ("The WOD is a war on the Constitution." -- Lawgvr1955)
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To: Babu
called URB597, might represent a safer alternative to use of marijuana...

...and make some pharmaceutical companies some $$$.
12 posted on 12/15/2005 1:41:06 PM PST by BJClinton (Mommas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys)
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To: Babu

I expect this to be wholly rejected by the medical marijuana crowd because that is not what the movement is really about.


13 posted on 12/15/2005 1:42:43 PM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: American in Singapore
New drug acts as marijuana in the brain

What's wrong with the original one?!

14 posted on 12/15/2005 1:44:10 PM PST by Cementjungle
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To: Babu
Marijuana can produce psychosis. it and other similar substances should remain illegal

IE:


http://www.priory.com/psych/cannabis.htm
15 posted on 12/16/2005 2:59:06 AM PST by Vaquero ("An armed society is a polite society" R. A. Heinlein)
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To: A CA Guy

Many painkillers are based on opium. Should they also be banned?


16 posted on 12/16/2005 3:00:45 AM PST by expatguy (http://laotze.blogspot.com/)
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To: Vaquero

I hear it causes minorities to rape white women as well.


17 posted on 12/16/2005 3:03:10 AM PST by Reform4Bush
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To: Reform4Bush

From the tone of your sarcastic answer, I take it you disagree. Good for you.


18 posted on 12/16/2005 3:30:16 AM PST by Vaquero ("An armed society is a polite society" R. A. Heinlein)
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To: KC_Conspirator

You mean groveling for government approval and billions of dollars to some mega-drug companies - for something that works not quite as well at 5 times the price - your are correct - that is EXACTLY what the MM crowd doesn't want.


19 posted on 12/16/2005 3:34:39 AM PST by KeepUSfree (WOSD = fascism pure and simple.)
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To: balch3

"If it's based on Marijuana it shouldn't be approved."

Darn right. And if there are other drugs based on opium, or cocaine, or anything illegally used, same for those. And we should ban other useful stuff because it might be tangentially related to illegal items, too.


20 posted on 12/17/2005 9:24:58 PM PST by LibertarianInExile (Cowards cut and run. Marines never do. Murtha can ESAD, that cowardly, no-longer-a-Marine, traitor.)
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