Marijuana induces brain cell growth, fights depression

[Gidan]

Canadian researchers discovered that a cannabis-like chemical or cannabinoid found in marijuana stimulates brain cell growth and helps fight anxiety and depression, according to a study released online on October 13 in advance of print publication of the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The finding is in sharp contrast with the common belief that abuse or chronic use of additive drugs inhibits the growth of new brain cells, causes memory loss and impairs learning, among other problems. In this respect, marijuana may not be such an ordinary additive drug. Researchers cautioned that marijuana may be the only exception among the additive drugs.

In the study, Dr. Xia Zhang and colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, injected a high dose of a cannabis-like in rats twice a day for ten days and found the marijuana chemical promoted the growth of new brain cells – a process known as neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that keeps generating new cells or neurons throughout one's lifetime. The hippocampus is associated with memory, depression and mood disorders. Previous studies found that depression is associated with the number of brain cells or neurons.

Dr. Zhang’s team researchers performed tests on rats and proved that the cannabis-like compound has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effect. Rats treated with the marijuana compound twice a day for ten days had reduced anxiety and/or depression.

The researchers suggest that there is a positive correlation between increased generation of new brain cells and modified behavior following chronic cannabinoid treatment.

The study used a high dosage of a synthetic cannabinoid found in marijuana. It is unknown smoking marijuana may have the same effect.

Use of marijuana is common in many countries. "Cannabis (marijuana, hashish or cannabinoids) has been used for medical and recreational purpose for many centuries," researchers wrote in their article. "Cannabinoids appear to be able to modulate pain, nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, ischemic stroke, cerebral trauma, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and other disorders in humans and or animals."

Researchers suggest that the marijuana chemical may be used to fight anxiety and depression.

[Ouchyfish]

I am sure if you research DDT or cyanide enough you would eventually find a healthy reason to ingest the shit.

I have never smoked it, nor will I ever. I can't fucking stand pothead stoner teenagers that can't wait to brag to anyone who will listen about how they smoked -this- much and were x amount fucked up and how pothead_stoner01 did (insert assinine task here) while -they- were fucked up.

All that said, I have yet to hear one legit argument on why it is illegal and alcohol is not.

I am in favor of legalizing it-just wish there was a way to award the death penalty for asshole teeny bopper stoners that think it's the coolest fucking thing in the world to tell everyone about it.

You smoked weed. You got stoned...want a fucking medal or a chest to pin it on?

Seems like this shit gets dragged up at least once or twice a year here leading to 10 pages of replies where by the tenth page they've managed to sway the conversation into some shit about why cucumbers taste better pickled.

[mappatazee]

Where the fuck is this from? Pravda.ru? Doesn't sound like it was written by a native English speaker.

[Spliffs]

I don't buy it. All weed ever did to me was increase anxiety.

[Gidan]

http://www.foodconsumer.org/777/8/Marij ... sion.shtml

[Harrison]

I call bullshit.

This isn't even worth discussing.

[Gidan]

So do you have some proof that its bullshit? Show that amazing grasp of Neuroscience's you have and prove them wrong. I will even give you their entire article to pick apart.

http://www.jci.org/cgi/reprint/JCI25509 ... alcode=jci

Here is the abstract for the paper.

Abstract

The hippocampal dentate gyrus in the adult mammalian brain contains neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) capable of generating new neurons, i.e., neurogenesis. Most drugs of abuse examined to date decrease adult hippocampal neurogenesis, but the effects of cannabis (marijuana or cannabinoids) on hippocampal neurogenesis remain unknown. This study aimed at investigating the potential regulatory capacity of the potent synthetic cannabinoid HU210 on hippocampal neurogenesis and its possible correlation with behavioral change. We show that both embryonic and adult rat hippocampal NS/PCs are immunoreactive for CB1 cannabinoid receptors, indicating that cannabinoids could act on CB1 receptors to regulate neurogenesis. This hypothesis is supported by further findings that HU210 promotes proliferation, but not differentiation, of cultured embryonic hippocampal NS/PCs likely via a sequential activation of CB1 receptors, Gi/o proteins, and ERK signaling. Chronic, but not acute, HU210 treatment promoted neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of adult rats and exerted anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects. X-irradiation of the hippocampus blocked both the neurogenic and behavioral effects of chronic HU210 treatment, suggesting that chronic HU210 treatment produces anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects likely via promotion of hippocampal neurogenesis.

[Spliffs]

In the study, Dr. Xia Zhang and colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, injected a high dose of a cannabis-like in rats twice a day for ten days and found the marijuana chemical promoted the growth of new brain cells – a process known as neurogenesis in the hippocampus

Injecting mice with marijuana for ten days does not clearly indicate long term effects on humans.

I don't know how it is related on a neurological level, so I won't pretend to, but the first 10 days I smoked pot were great on a mental level. It was the last 6 months or so that weren't so hot.

I'd have much greater appreciation for this study if the mice were taking 10 bong hits a day, for 1 year, and still had all these neato nifty side effects.

[KILL]

i dont know what theyre injecting, but smoking it sure doesnt fight anxiety in my body

[Tae-Bo]

keep in mind they're using HU210 which is a synthetic cannabinoid which is supposed to reproduce one of the many many cannabinoids that is naturally found in weed

this is different from THC - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HU-210

this article shouldn't be seen as "oh man when ya smok bowls ur gonna grow more brains" if anything it should cause people to ask why there isn't more research done on what benefits can be extracted from the compounds in marijuana

[10sun]

Eating bowls of Cheerios have similar effects.

I feel so happy after eating them to begin a day at work!

As far as smoking pot goes, everything is alright in proper doses. I smoke maybe once a month myself and I just mellow out when I do.

-Adam

[kaharthemad]

keep it up and someone will suggest a bake sale to get money for NT

[Tikker]

Dr. Xia Zhang and colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada

I have to admit, I didn't expect to see my university doing experiments like this

[Ouchyfish]

Heh I think they do experiments like that at every university. heh.

[brinstar]

interesting article

[araby]

Very. (interesting) they do tests for research here like crazy...the medical university does. whether or not you smoke weed...is not what the issue really is here, though. (fucking duh)

you don't have to smoke weed to read and learn about what they just researched. You guys, back in bible times, a life span was upwards to 800 years. those people lived off the land. You don't think they took care of themselves naturally, for pain and for entertainment? much like, an ibuprofen or a beer...except the difference is that their headache reliever and beer were natural and not chemically made.

anyway, good article.

[Adivina]

a life span was upwards to 800 years

Really?

[araby]

It's in the Bible. check it, yo.

[Metranon]

relieves stress bigtime but its situational and depends on the user...low quality marijuana often contains large amounts of DHC, which is pre-developed THC and makes you paranoid and tired. Occasional users are much more prone to feelings of paranoia because their systems have not built up a resistance to DHC and a conditioned response to THC as chronic users have.

Also I find im much more prone to paranoia in large crowds or driving, for example...I won't smoke before I drive on the highway anymore, not because it's dangerous but because even now I still get a little paranoid...

In other words...smoke good weed (organic) and do it in the privacy of your home, or in the great outdoors to relax...

[Darcler]

lol Gid's a stoner. maybe thats the reason for his typos. Too stoned to spell properly.

<3

[mofish]

The high school dropout has deemed this subject, and the research conducted, unworthy. Thread over, everyone go home.

[mappatazee]

I was an occaisional smoker just because everyone else smoked so much, I only smoked in social situations and didn't really like it. Only in the last 6 months I've started regularly and been able to do it on my own time, I enjoy it more.

[Captain Insano]

Canadian researchers discovered that a cannabis-like chemical or cannabinoid found in marijuana stimulates brain cell growth and helps fight anxiety and depression, according to a study released online on October 13 in advance of print publication of the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The finding is in sharp contrast with the common belief that abuse or chronic use of additive drugs inhibits the growth of new brain cells, causes memory loss and impairs learning, among other problems. In this respect, marijuana may not be such an ordinary additive drug. Researchers cautioned that marijuana may be the only exception among the additive drugs.

In the study, Dr. Xia Zhang and colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, injected a high dose of a cannabis-like in rats twice a day for ten days and found the marijuana chemical promoted the growth of new brain cells – a process known as neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that keeps generating new cells or neurons throughout one's lifetime. The hippocampus is associated with memory, depression and mood disorders. Previous studies found that depression is associated with the number of brain cells or neurons.

Dr. Zhang’s team researchers performed tests on rats and proved that the cannabis-like compound has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effect. Rats treated with the marijuana compound twice a day for ten days had reduced anxiety and/or depression.

The researchers suggest that there is a positive correlation between increased generation of new brain cells and modified behavior following chronic cannabinoid treatment.

The study used a high dosage of a synthetic cannabinoid found in marijuana. It is unknown smoking marijuana may have the same effect.

Use of marijuana is common in many countries. "Cannabis (marijuana, hashish or cannabinoids) has been used for medical and recreational purpose for many centuries," researchers wrote in their article. "Cannabinoids appear to be able to modulate pain, nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, ischemic stroke, cerebral trauma, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and other disorders in humans and or animals."

Researchers suggest that the marijuana chemical may be used to fight anxiety and depression.

my old roomate would literally run in from work and leave a trail of his business shit leading to his room because he was in such a hurry to smoke up and let me tell you... He was a fucking moron. I watched him over two years go from a relatively intelligent guy to a fucking complete twit thanks to weed.

I believe in legalization, but I'm not going to believe for one second that shit makes you smerturrrrrr.

[Ouchyfish]

Legalize pot and ban caffeine!

[Adivina]

I like the Benzedrine web.... poor spider was just beyond fucked up ><