cannabisnews.com: This is Your Brain on Marijuana This is Your Brain on Marijuana Posted by FoM on May 27, 2001 at 17:02:52 PT By Diana Steele, Special Contributor to The DMN Source: Dallas Morning News Medical marijuana proponents may have suffered a setback from the Supreme Court this month, but scientists continue to make progress in understanding the brain system responsible for marijuana's effects on the body. New research shows that the brain's own marijuana-like molecules might let brain cells talk back to each other. This may be important for forming new memories. Someone under the influence of marijuana might have trouble remembering things because marijuana's active ingredient, THC, swamps the natural system. Marijuana's other physiological effects – including relieving pain, increasing appetite and interfering with movement – may occur because the brain's related chemicals have some role in regulating all of these functions. A better understanding of how this natural system works could help scientists develop drugs that harness the medically beneficial effects of marijuana. "What you'd want is a designer drug that could give you all the benefits of marijuana, but not all of its side effects," says Rachel Wilson, a graduate student at the University of California, San Francisco. Just 13 years ago, scientists discovered that throughout the brain and central nervous system, there are receptors, or docking stations, that allow THC to stick to brain cells. Four years later, researchers found that the body makes its own marijuana-like molecules, called cannabinoids. There are two known so far. These molecules act as neurotransmitters, sending messages throughout the brain and central nervous system. The question is, what messages? New research helps unravel part of the mystery. Ms. Wilson's work shows how the brain's cannabinoids may play a key role in memory. Other new research helps explain why marijuana gives pot smokers the "munchies"; this work may lead to better drugs for appetite suppression. Ms. Wilson studied neurons in the part of the brain called the hippocampus, the area thought to be responsible for memory. People who have damage to the hippocampus lack the ability to form new memories (like the main character in the movie Memento). What Ms. Wilson and her adviser, Roger Nicoll, found is that cannabinoids in the hippocampus seem to allow neurons to talk back to each other. Communication between neurons in the brain had long been thought to be one-way. But two-way communication means that the connections between neurons can be strengthened or weakened based on "talking" back and forth – with the cannabinoids as the signal that talks back. This "is what everyone in neurobiology has been looking for for so long," says Scripps Research Institute biochemist Benjamin Cravatt. This back talk "has a feel of memory to it. ... One neuron tells another neuron ... 'This is what I'm telling you,' and that neuron talks back to it." The research by the San Francisco scientists was published this spring in the journal Nature, at the same time two teams working independently in Japan and Cambridge, Mass., published complementary findings in the journal Neuron. Of course, Ms. Wilson says, studying single neurons is a long way from understanding what cannabinoids do in the brains of animals. For example, does blocking the docking stations (called cannabinoid receptors) so the molecules can't send their messages actually affect memory? "What we're developing are tools that ultimately people who study behavior and psychology in rats, for example, can then take in to their laboratories and ... see how taking out this one feature could change how rats learn in a maze," she said. The part of the brain linked to memory, the hippocampus, isn't the only place where cannabinoid receptors are found. In fact, they're widely distributed throughout the brain and the spinal cord. But they probably serve different functions in different areas. It's the cannabinoids and their receptors in another brain region, called the hypothalamus, that appear to be involved in stimulating appetite. New research by George Kunos, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and his colleagues helps explain why pot smokers get the munchies. Using mice that had been genetically altered so they no longer had cannabinoid receptors, Dr. Kunos found that the mice ate less than normal mice after being deprived of food for a short time. The research was published last month in Nature. Dr. Kunos said the level of cannabinoids in the hypothalamus is under the control of a fat-regulating hormone, called leptin. This hormone keeps tabs on the energy status of the body and helps maintain body weight. When leptin levels are low, cannabinoid levels appear to rise, stimulating appetite. Marijuana overwhelms the normal system and swamps the receptors, making pot smokers want to eat everything in sight. The system that controls appetite is complex, though, because the mice without cannabinoid receptors ate normally and didn't lose weight if food was around. It was only after being deprived of food for a day that they were less hungry than their normal counterparts. The appetite-stimulating effects of marijuana may be beneficial for patients with AIDS or those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Unfortunately, Dr. Kunos said, developing a drug that could mimic marijuana's munchie-inducing effects is problematic because it might be difficult to eliminate the drug's psychoactive effects. However, says Dr. Kunos, "the opposite type of treatment, the use of a drug that blocks the receptor, which obviously has no abuse potential – that's more realistic." Such a drug might be used to reduce appetite. To this end, Dr. Kunos and his colleagues studied what happened when they blocked the cannabinoid receptor in fat mice. Mice that are genetically bred to lack leptin chronically overeat and are obese. The researchers injected these mice with a compound that blocks cannabinoid receptors and found that it cut down the amount of food the mice ate and slowed their weight gain. A French pharmaceutical company, Sanofi-Synthelabo, is already looking into this drug as a possible appetite suppressant for obese people. Dr. Kunos said human trials are still under way but initial reports are encouraging. The drug is also being considered as a potential therapy for schizophrenia, because some researchers speculate that overactivity of the brain's cannabinoid system may contribute to schizophrenic symptoms. Trials are under way, says Dr. Kunos, "but the results are not known, and it's too early to tell if it would be effective." The Nature and Neuron studies are among the first to demonstrate physiological effects of the brain's own cannabinoids. This system has proved hard to study because cannabinoids don't hang around in the brain very long. If an animal is injected with anandamide, one of the brain's own cannabinoids, nothing much happens. Researchers were puzzled by this until they realized how fast anandamide breaks down – half of it is gone within five minutes. But scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego are trying to make anandamide linger longer by preventing it from being broken down. Several years ago Dr. Cravatt, a biochemist, discovered an enzyme that breaks down anandamide, called FAAH. Now he's bred mice that lack this enzyme, so anandamide sticks around longer in their brains. Dr. Cravatt couldn't discuss his findings because he's trying to get the work published in a scientific journal. But he hopes his mice will give researchers a much better understanding about what anandamide is really doing in the brain. A colleague at Scripps, chemist Dale Boger, is trying to develop a chemical compound that would inhibit FAAH. Such a compound might be given as a drug to increase levels of anandamide in the brain. Dr. Cravatt says subtly adjusting the levels of anandamide in the body could increase appetite or reduce pain without causing the psychoactive effects of THC. But Dr. Cravatt adds that the social stigma of marijuana may prevent any of these potential drugs from ever showing up on a pharmacy shelf. "That's a hard pill to swallow," he says. "It's hard enough to get a drug that works – you don't want to worry about getting a drug that works and still not be able to distribute it. So I think we have to overcome that." Note: In recent years, researchers have discovered that the body makes its own marijuana-like molecules.Diana Steele is a free-lance writer based in San DiegoSource: Dallas Morning News (TX)Author: Diana Steele, Special Contributor to The DMNPublished: May 28, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Dallas Morning NewsWebsite: http://www.dallasnews.com/Contact: letterstoeditor dallasnews.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Journal Naturehttp://www.nature.com/nature/Nerves Need Marijuana-Like Substance http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9799.shtmlExpanding Our Minds About Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9698.shtmlNatural Cannabis 'Better Than Extracts' http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9279.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #14 posted by T on November 13, 2003 at 19:18:35 PT Wake up! You want to know who the hell has the right to tell you whats right and whats wrong about feeling good(when smoking weed)? Someone like me. Lets start from here. We are all humans, and we will always have alot of weak and some strong. The weak tend to fall for desires, the strong could control that. Face it, there are 6 billion people out there that only about 2-3 million of them running the rest. The succeful ones! The ones that know how to control their desires and focus on what they want instead. It is not wrong trying it! But if you were a smart one you would know where to put your limits to your desires and get back to the right way to where you should. Building yourself and your future. What they said about making memory cells, how they send signals back and forth with each other and confuse you from focusing on what you should be doing, is VERY true! Trust ME! Think of how many smart ones are out there, that have hard time controlling their desires!? YOU probably could (controll your desires), good for you, but alot out there cant. And they could destroy themselves if they wont notice it because they are not smart enough. Think for a minute, I hope you could imagine it, that you were in a show of a person that wants to be succefful but cant even start to go anywhere in life because of his weak tendency to fall for desires. As a mature person, like I'm "supposing" you are, you should be smart enough to think right. And to be fair. I'm sorry if I sounded offensive in anyway, but we have to start realizing things like that and keep going and developing ourselves instead of wrecking ; ourselves!!aocp, respect to you. "The world is a comedy for those who think, but a tragedy for those who feel."What do I think about marijuana use? Trying it is not a crime...How to control it? It is only by you, the one reading this...and your word of mouth...I'm not saying this post will deliver our world to a better place if you started talking about it as if it is the right weapon to fight such problems, but it is one of the RIGHT solutions to such a problem with us, humans. See if you mean something to your close ones and if they would listen to you and be that smart, only then you know you could feel good, the right way.wake up..... [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by dddd on May 29, 2001 at 11:02:04 PT Right On Sudaca Who the hell has the right to tell people the rights and wrongs offeeling good?.........In theory,if the authorities are allowed tocarry the decision of legal ways to feel good,to its logical conclusion,then religion could be said to be an improper way to feel good,orjogging,or eating,,,sleeping etc...Like you say,,,,what is wrong with getting high?,,,it's such anobvious and simple question,,yet one that would be akward toget an answer to,from the pompous,narrow,brainwashed purveyorsof the WoDs.....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Sudaca on May 29, 2001 at 10:49:52 PT The unwanted side effects Please someone explain to me. Why is it bad to feel good? Why are only sick people even considered when it comes to feel good (and that's a strech, it seems the powers that be would deny that even to sick people). Why is the 'euphoria' that cannabis provides considered unwanted , immoral and punishable?Basically, who died and made you God you bastard that claim the right to regulate what I put in my body?These 'unwanted' side effects are what make Cannabis the unifier, the international herb, the herb of peace and brotherhood (and sisterhood) Its this relaxing psychoactivity that averted the potential disaster of having the loosing English soccer fans (of Hooligan fame) in Amsterdam not become a headline for destruction and violence during the 2000 Eurocup. A week later w/out the kind buds 'unwanted' side effects the same fans saw their team tie against Germany and they ran amok and sowed destruction and violence in Belgium.WHY IS IT WRONG TO GET HIGH? What's the theory behind the puritanical drive to suppress human enjoyment? [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by MCF on May 28, 2001 at 08:53:12 PT: MARY Interesting article...farciclethe drug which produces the plus points of marijuana, is marijuana. thats why people smoke it.people say that the main reason not to legalise it is because it allowes a link from weed to heroin, crack etc.the only thing is to BREAK THE LINK - legalise it - and young weed smokers wont come in to contact with hard drugs.cheers [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by aocp on May 28, 2001 at 06:47:35 PT Memorial Day "What you'd want is a designer drug that could give you all the benefits of marijuana, but not all of its side effects," says Rachel Wilson, a graduate student at the University of California, San Francisco.I mean no offense to anyone, but this kind of moronic comment is exactly why i detest this holiday. Millions of good people have died to create and keep safe our "land of the free and home of the brave," and what we've ended up with is a puritanical run-amok police state that is hell-bent on eliminating the feelgood aspect of MJ. This is the noblest thing we can come up with to use our time and resources on?!? There isn't enough time left before our sun goes supernova to fit in all the shame we should feel at ourselves. I personally feel ill. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Rob on May 28, 2001 at 00:03:59 PT: The Dope Hey Great reading, after 25 years of abuse of the substance i feel no different. Why ?????????????? Huh no one can answer this one for me!!!!!!!!!!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by dddd on May 28, 2001 at 00:00:11 PT It's true It's true Observer....Most veteran Drugonauts would agree;thereis no replacement for Marijuana when it comes to a safe alternativefor the drug of desire........A nice luxurious reef of some fine Marijuana,will send Mr. Jones home,or at least mellow him out.Those who have had cocaine problems know about the excellent propertiesMarijuana has to ease cravings............the same,of course generally holdstrue for liquor,,,,luckily,I dont know if it helps a heroin problem.In another realm of Marijuanas' benificial characteristics,those familiarwith LSD,and other psychedelic experiences,are fully aware of thedeluxe calm that the herb can provide ,,,during,and following suchmystical occassions.Can you imagine if something like Ritalin,was put under the same microscopicscutiny that they are putting cannabis through?dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by observer on May 27, 2001 at 21:30:22 PT re: With Fine Marijuana Instead of imprisoning illegal drug users,the well balanced mellow governments that allows Marijuana,,treat the victims of synthetic drug abuse with fine Marijuana.........trippy....ddddTmhat reminds me of something that I read today, dddd. The report further claimed that there was "no apparent" connection between "the weed" and crimes of violence, that smoking it did not produce aggressiveness or belligerence as a rule, that it could be used for a number of years without causing serious mental or physical harm and that while it might be habit forming it could be given up abruptly without causing distress; in other words, it did not produce the bodily dependence found in heroin, cocaine, morphine and other drugs.Finally, the report suggested that the drug is so mild that it might well be used successfully as a substitute in the process of curing addiction to other drugs, or even in the treatment of chronic alcoholism.-- Harry Anslinger, bellyaching about conclusions reached in the La Guardia Report (in "Hemp Around Their Necks", from The Murderers, 1961) http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/history/murd3.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 27, 2001 at 21:20:48 PT Side effects Gosh being happy really is a negative side effect. So is being calmer. What other vicious things lurk to twist our brains? Let's see. Food tastes so good. That's probably on the bad list. Sleep comes easier and that probably is bad to because we must be wired in our go go go society. I'm sure there are other bad side effects but I can't think of any for now. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by observer on May 27, 2001 at 21:05:21 PT $ide Effect$ "What you'd wantWell, not you, actually: more like what government and big patent drug corporations want.is a designer drug-- that patent drug companies could . . . patent ($$$) --that could give you all the benefits of marijuanaExcept for benefits like being about to grow it in your garden for pennies, compared to the 30-60 dollars per dose of expensive patent drugs. Like Marinol.but not all of its side effects,"Unpleasant side-effects like robbing those honest, hard-working drug companies of their potential profits from your diseases and misery. (As the patent drug companies contribute to, and sponsor the "Partnership for a Drug-Free Amerika," which demonizes cannabis users.) Or unneeded side-effects like giving you good feelings, a helpful change of perspective http://marijuana-uses.com , insights, tendency to question authority. Or (as of yet) unexplained side-effects like a synergistic combination of natural cannabinoids, making whole cannabis often more effective than Marinol, for example. Untoward side-effects like that.says Rachel Wilson, a graduate student at the University of California, San Francisco.Not burning any corporate bridges, there, are we Rachel? Who is funding Rachel's research? NIDA or a patent drug company, I wonder? Seems a little detail like that would be nice to know. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by The GCW on May 27, 2001 at 19:54:05 PT WHO? Who do you think put those cannabinoid receptor sites in our brains? And why is cannabis about as safe as any God Awesome creation in existance? And why is the major government in the system caging those whom accept Gods Blessings? Is it to fulfill prophecy?The Green Collar Worker [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by dddd on May 27, 2001 at 18:32:40 PT well?? well..I guess this was a pretty good article,,but I sure dontlike how it seems that Marijuana is now being exposed to sucha strangely close scrutiny.....If one were to do this sort of excruciatingly close analysis,onmany "legal" pharmaceutical drugs,,the results would be nothingless than SHOCKING!I always like to imagine some sort of Outer Limits,opposite world.In this opposite world,Marijuana,opium,cocaine,,are all,normal,legaldrugs.......The outlaws,are the ones making the synthetic drugs......All inorganic,unnatural drugs are illegal,,,and the war on drugs,isagainst hi-tech pharmaceutical labs located in Bulgaria,China,andKenya.......Instead of imprisoning illegal drug users,the well balancedmellow governments that allows Marijuana,,treat the victims ofsynthetic drug abuse with fine Marijuana.........trippy....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Robbie on May 27, 2001 at 17:28:31 PT Psychoactivity - The Assassin Of Youth NEWS FLASH! Scientists have decided that marihuana is even more of a threat to sick and recreational users because they find THC more and more like chemicals already inside human brains! A truly evil menace that marihuana is!By the way, do you see that more and more research is being done to remove the psychoactivity? If people want the benefits of cannabis without the psychoactivity, that should be available to them. But the psychoactivity is what I'm in it for, and this still seems like a Prohib opportunity to quell the counter-culture and counter- thinking one way or another. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: