Marijuana component opens the door for virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma
... While most people are not at risk from Kaposis sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV), researchers say those with lowered immune system...Machinery of the 'marijuana munchies'
Marijuana--or more specifically its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol--has a well-documented tendency to stimulate hunger. And while scientists have traced this property to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, they have had little understanding of the neural circuitry underlying this effect.... ...Understanding this circuitry has important practical implications because blocking the cannabin...New study examines 'brain's own marijuana'
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A researcher at the University at Buffalos Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) is investigating the brains own marijuana -- called endocannabinoid -- in the regulation of stress, stress-related behavior and anxiety. ... A five-year, $1.7 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health is supporting this investigation.... It is widely accepted that one of the major...Long-term marijuana smoking leads to respiratory complaints
... .....Latest buzz: Marijuana may slow progression of Alzheimer's disease
... ... "Inflammation in the brain is part of aging," Wenk said. "It happens to almost all of us as we age. But in some cases, this inflammation gets out of hand and causes...Marijuana use causes early pregnancy failure
... Marijuana, the most widely used illegal drug among women of reproductive age, binds to 2 receptors cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1, CB2) which are found in the brain and other organs including sperm, eggs, and newly formed embryos. Normally, these 2 receptors are activated by the naturally occurring signalin...Marijuana-like compounds suppress the immune response
Bethesda, MD A group of Japanese scientists has discovered that cannabinoids can cause some white blood cells to lose their ability to migrate to the sites of infection and inflammation. These findings, which appear in the May 5 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could have potential use in the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs....... The cannabinoids are a group of chemic...New DNA 'fingerprinting' technique separates hemp from marijuana
Using new DNA "fingerprinting" techniques, two University of Minnesota researchers have become the first to unequivocally separate hemp plants from marijuana plants with genetic markers. Hemp, a crop grown for durable fiber and nutritious seed, and marijuana, the most abundant illegal drug of abuse in the United States, both belong to the species Cannabis sativa. They differ in levels of the psyc...Memory, speed of thinking get worse over time with marijuana use
Memory, speed of thinking and other cognitive abilities get worse over time with marijuana use, according to a new study published in the March 14, 2006, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ... The study found that frequent marijuana users performed worse than non-users on tests of cognitive abilities, including divided attention (ability to pay attent...Good news for the medical marijuana movement: pot proliferates brain cells and boosts mood
Most drugs of abuse decrease the generation of new neurons in the brain, but the effects of marijuana on this process, called neurogenesis, had not been clear. In a paper appearing online on October 13 in advance of print publication of the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Xia Zhang and colleagues from University of Saskatchewan show that a potent and synthetic cannabinoid...Scientists discover the body's marijuana-like compounds are crucial for stress-induced pain relief
A new study shows, for the first time, that the release of the body's own marijuana-like compounds is crucial to stress-induced analgesia the body's way of initially shielding pain after a serious injury. ......The work, led by scientists at the University of Georgia and the University of California, Irvine, may yield a target for new drug therapies that will completely bypass the current argume...