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| Enzyme Could Lead To Medical Marijuana Alternative |
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Posted by FoM on July 23, 2001 at 20:22:36 PT By Amy Norton Source: Reuters 
In findings that could one day offer an alternative to so-called medical marijuana, scientists have discovered that blocking a particular enzyme in mice allows a natural marijuana-like compound in the brain to trigger pain-numbing effects comparable to the drugs.Researchers have known that the brain chemical anandamide acts on the same brain receptors as marijuana does. Anandamide is known as an endogenous cannabinoid, a class of marijuana-like compounds that naturally exist in the body. What has been unclear is why injecting anandamide into the body does not have the same medicinal effects that marijuana reportedly has. "It can't accumulate and hang around like THC (marijuana's active ingredient)," Benjamin F. Cravatt of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, explained in an interview. Cravatt and his colleagues hypothesized that an enzyme called FAAH--for fatty acid amide hydrolase--quickly breaks down extra anandamide in the brain before it can trigger marijuana-like effects. They confirmed this belief in experiments with mice engineered to lack the FAAH enzyme. When these FAAH-less animals were exposed to various doses of anandamide, they showed effects similar to those that have been seen in mice treated with THC, Cravatt explained. For one, the mice became lazy and less responsive. More importantly, they became less sensitive to pain, according to the report in the July 31st issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These findings, Cravatt said, hold out the possibility that a drug that blocks the FAAH enzyme in humans will allow the natural anandamide system to work as a painkiller--but without making patients inhale the toxic compounds in marijuana smoke or experience the drug's mind-altering effects. He noted that he and his colleagues will also look at whether mice lacking the FAAH enzyme show changed eating patterns. Advocates of medical marijuana use say that in addition to easing the chronic pain of cancer and other conditions, the drug helps prevent AIDS-linked wasting by stimulating patients' appetites. A drug that blocks FAAH in the brain would likely be more desirable than either marijuana smoking or the synthetic cannabinoids now available for chronic pain control, Cravatt suggested. It would get around the ill effects of smoking and probably be more effective than introducing a foreign cannabinoid because it would boost the body's natural cannabinoid system. "Ideally," Cravatt said, "what you want is to allow the endogenous system to be enhanced." Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2001;98:9371 Related Articles: Drug Could Block Cannabis High Scientists Find Way To Block Effects of Marijuana CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #5 posted by Doug on July 24, 2001 at 09:41:22 PT |
| I've wondered what it is in marijuana that gives the dreaded mind-altering effects, and how this differs from the painkiiler effects. There seems to be a big urge to separate these, but do them involve different chemicals, or different doses, or is there something else involved? [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #4 posted by Jose Melendez on July 24, 2001 at 06:29:29 PT:
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| "Before 1933 or so, before marijuana was illegal, before the Volstead Act, Camel cigarettes had marijuana as an ingredient. The famous Turkish blend made it worth walking a mile. " Is this verifiable? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by rabblerouser on July 24, 2001 at 05:21:55 PT |
| Before 1933 or so, before marijuana was illegal, before the Volstead Act, Camel cigarettes had marijuana as an ingredient. The famous Turkish blend made it worth walking a mile. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by Rambler on July 24, 2001 at 01:17:12 PT |
| This new enzyme will be marketed under such names as; "I Cant Believe Its Not Pot" All the benifits of Marijuana,without that annoying stone. "Mr. Dash",or "Mr. Hash",pot substitute "High n' Low" with NutriWeed "Stone Free" "Near Weed" "O'Fools",this will be from Miller Brewing/Phillip Morris.It will be the new weed cigarettes that dont get you stoned,but still give you all the medical benifits of Marijuana. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by dddd on July 24, 2001 at 00:01:27 PT |
| ..this is aknowledging,,that Marijuana is quite special,, and that it has medicinal value,,,but instead of allowing it in its God given organic form,,,they are proud of discovering some fake,frankenstonian type of enzyme to pretend it is cannabis...... this is great,,it really makes one wonder,,who the hell is it,, dddd [ Post Comment ] |
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