Scientists find marijuana reduces memory impairment

[grace]

As difficult as some of our readers might find it to believe, researchers have found that specific elements of marijuana can be good for the aging brain by reducing inflammation and possibly even stimulating the formation of new brain cells. The research suggests that the development of a legal drug that contains certain properties similar to those in marijuana might help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. If you can’t wait for the drug to be developed, and don’t fancy coping with getting stoned every morning, Science Magazine has an interesting article about an alternative – dramatically reducing your calorific intake is also beneficial for memory.

 

Though the exact cause of Alzheimer's remains unknown, chronic inflammation in the brain is believed to contribute to memory impairment.

 

Any new drug's properties would resemble those of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive substance in the cannabis plant, but would not share its high-producing effects. THC joins nicotine, alcohol and caffeine as agents that, in moderation, have shown some protection against inflammation in the brain that might translate to better memory late in life.

 

"It's not that everything immoral is good for the brain. It's just that there are some substances that millions of people for thousands of years have used in billions of doses, and we're noticing there's a little signal above all the noise," said Gary Wenk, professor of psychology at Ohio State and principal investigator on the research.

 

Wenk's work has already shown that a THC-like synthetic drug can improve memory in animals. Now his team is trying to find out exactly how it works in the brain.

 

The most recent research on rats indicates that at least three receptors in the brain are activated by the synthetic drug, which is similar to marijuana. These receptors are proteins within the brain's endocannabinoid system, which is involved in memory as well as physiological processes associated with appetite, mood and pain response.

 

This research is also showing that receptors in this system can influence brain inflammation and the production of new neurons, or brain cells.

 

"When we're young, we reproduce neurons and our memory works fine. When we age, the process slows down, so we have a decrease in new cell formation in normal aging. You need those cells to come back and help form new memories, and we found that this THC-like agent can influence creation of those cells," said Yannick Marchalant, a study coauthor and research assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State.

 

Marchalant described the research in a poster presentation Wednesday (11/19) at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C.

 

Knowing exactly how any of these compounds work in the brain can make it easier for drug designers to target specific systems with agents that will offer the most effective anti-aging benefits, said Wenk, who is also a professor of neuroscience and molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics.

 

"Could people smoke marijuana to prevent Alzheimer's disease if the disease is in their family? We're not saying that, but it might actually work. What we are saying is it appears that a safe, legal substance that mimics those important properties of marijuana can work on receptors in the brain to prevent memory impairments in aging. So that's really hopeful," Wenk said.

 

One thing is clear from the studies: Once memory impairment is evident, the treatment is not effective. Reducing inflammation and preserving or generating neurons must occur before the memory loss is obvious, Wenk said.

 

Marchalant led a study on old rats using the synthetic drug, called WIN-55212-2 (WIN), which is not used in humans because of its high potency to induce psychoactive effects.

 

The researchers used a pump under the skin to give the rats a constant dose of WIN for three weeks – a dose low enough to induce no psychoactive effects on the animals. A control group of rats received no intervention. In follow-up memory tests, in which rats were placed in a small swimming pool to determine how well they use visual cues to find a platform hidden under the surface of the water, the treated rats did better than the control rats in learning and remembering how to find the hidden platform.

 

"Old rats are not very good at that task. They can learn, but it takes them more time to find the platform. When we gave them the drug, it made them a little better at that task," Marchalant said.

 

In some rats, Marchalant combined the WIN with compounds that are known to block specific receptors, which then offers hints at which receptors WIN is activating. The results indicated the WIN lowered the rats' brain inflammation in the hippocampus by acting on what is called the TRPV1 receptor. The hippocampus is responsible for short-term memory.

 

With the same intervention technique, the researchers also determined that WIN acts on receptors known as CB1 and CB2, leading to the generation of new brain cells – a process known as neurogenesis. Those results led the scientists to speculate that the combination of lowered inflammation and neurogenesis is the reason the rats' memory improved after treatment with WIN.

 

The researchers are continuing to study the endocannabinoid system's role in regulating inflammation and neuron development. They are trying to zero in on the receptors that must be activated to produce the most benefits from any newly developed drug.

 

What they already know is THC alone isn't the answer.

 

"The end goal is not to recommend the use of THC in humans to reduce Alzheimer's," Marchalant said. "We need to find exactly which receptors are most crucial, and ideally lead to the development of drugs that specifically activate those receptors. We hope a compound can be found that can target both inflammation and neurogenesis, which would be the most efficient way to produce the best effects."

 

Author: ?

Date: 28 January 2009

Source: gizmag

Copyright: gizmag 2003-2009

http://www.gizmag.com/scientists-find-mari...pairment/10849/

[littlbit]

"The end goal is not to recommend the use of THC in humans to reduce Alzheimer's," Marchalant said. "We need to find exactly which receptors are most crucial, and ideally lead to the development of drugs that specifically activate those receptors. We hope a compound can be found that can target both inflammation and neurogenesis, which would be the most efficient way to produce the best effects."

 

Now what do we expect from Big Pharma? Of course this is not what they want, they cannot make any money out of a plant they need to put it in a pill first.

 

Logic should tell us that Cannabis is only a part of the answer and that getting away from chemicals, hormones etc in our food. Cleaning up the air and putting back much of the vegetation will reduce more of all the health issues we all have.

 

Thanks Grace for putting this up to remind us that pharmaceutical companies are only there to make money not find real answers to health problems.

[danoz]

Interesting article Grace.

 

I dont understand the argument i constantly hear about how "big pharma" doesnt want anything pro out about weed cause "they cant make money from a plant". Why not??

 

I dont get this argument because dont corporations make money from plants all the time, even legal ones that we can freely plant ourselves. IE corporate agriculture.

What about st johns wort, paracetamol (made synthetically for price reasons but can be purified from willow bark),

What about alcohol anyone can make that too? yet corporations make big bucks from it.

what about tobacco??

 

I think corporations would love to able to grow weed and sell it. Not everyone is a gardener.

 

Infact if weed was legal and was open to competition alot of people that do grow would stop because u would be able to buy it at half the price you could grow it for and you wouldnt have to fuck around drying it and preserving it, or waiting for it to grow.

Edited February 2, 2009 by danoz

[mistyville]

you are so right Danoz. If mj was legalised and manufactured into cigarettes, they could be sold and taxed just like tobacco.

[Teucer]

Ok folks, you want the answers? Here they are:

 

Big Pharma (BP) are not interested in using the plants to help you. Even if the plant cured cancer they would not be interested.

 

Why? Because they CANNOT make money from it. You see, naturally occurring plants cannot be patented. Only a patent will ensure profits for BP. Remember, they are a business - not a charity. Their sole goal is to make money on drugs.

 

So, why do some companies then make money from plants? Because they have genetically modified the plants. The result genus is not naturally occurring in nature and they can therefore patent it. Similar to how some of our seedbanks patent particular strains. We therefore have GM wheat, barley, sugar cane, etc etc etc.

 

So when BP finds a plant that DOES help, their aim is to synthetically replicate the molecule in the plant that causes the effect.

 

ALL BP drugs eventualy came from nature. Plant, animal or amoeba. It's just that synthetic versions needed to made because money is at stake.

 

Remember, after Big Oil Cancer is the second largest industry. Followed by legal drugs.

[freddie]

Why? Because they CANNOT make money from it. You see, naturally occurring plants cannot be patented. Only a patent will ensure profits for BP. Remember, they are a business - not a charity. Their sole goal is to make money on drugs.

Plants certainly can be patented if you breed them yourself. These are covered by PVR (plant variety rights). Just so you understand, if cannabis was legal and you crossed 2 different varieties together and stabilised them you would then have some thing that is patentable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_breeders%27_rights

[Budman2012]

Hello ... hmmm , now what what I gonna say? ...

Oh yeah , I've never thought that using Cannabis impairs memory , even though I suffer the "What was I saying" and Where did I put that" syndromes etc. just like most people do when they are totally stoned.

I think that using Cannabis activates the brain in unlimitably expansive ways and when there is so much going on then of course not everything will be retained in the memory.

So rather than impairing memory , I beleive that Cannabis use can improve memory capacity if an attention span can be maintained.

Not exactly how I would have liked to explain that but there are so many interchangable options cycling throungh my mind because I just had a pipe So I just picked one combination and that was it ... It would take me hours to write a post if I tried to incorporate every single peice of thought and dialogue , not to mention that even less people would read my overly-long drawn-out commentary.

 

Anyhoo , on another note - comparitivly I personally have a better memory (Long , medium or short term) than every "straight" person (of all ages) that I know well ... and I'm sure that many stoners would experience the same.

 

I would say the biggest impairment to memory would be the idiocracy and the pace of said idiocracy in our modern society , along with all that that encompasses. All the nonsensical bullshit , to put it another way.

 

you are so right Danoz. If mj was legalised and manufactured into cigarettes, they could be sold and taxed just like tobacco.

Agreed , this is correct.

But remember that tobacco is not so harmful in itself , but the toxic chemicals knowingly added to cigarettes by these evil corporations are. These same processes would apply to the "Marijuana Cigarettes" they would sell if given the opportunity.

 

Now what do we expect from Big Pharma? Of course this is not what they want, they cannot make any money out of a plant they need to put it in a pill first.

 

Logic should tell us that Cannabis is only a part of the answer and that getting away from chemicals, hormones etc in our food. Cleaning up the air and putting back much of the vegetation will reduce more of all the health issues we all have.

Agreed , This also is correct.

They need to turn nature into a product they can own in order to own it see ... whether that be a pill , cigarette or whatever.

Then they need to make sure there is as little competition as possible from others .. so don't doubt that when and if this ever happens that growing Cannabis will still be just as illegal to grow for personal use , if not More illegal. Just like tobacco.

 

I fucken hate this society.

 

Ahem , had to vent heheheh

Anyway , was an interesting little article and where can I get some of that WIN 55212-2??

Cheerz all,

 

Budman

 

P.S. Hahah! , yah beat me to it Tuecer (Edit) - and Freddie heheh

Edited February 3, 2009 by Budman2012

[Teucer]

freddie,

 

I believe you and I are it total agreement. That is exactly what I'm saying.

 

Damn BP!