Research to be published in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation will reveal some surprising things about chronic marijuana usage. Instead of having a debilitating effect on the brain's memory, it may actually work to stimulate the growth of neurons that would increase the brain's capabilities for learning and memory.
According to findings released to the media by Dr. Xia Zhang, an associate professor with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon not only did high doses of cannabinoids promote the generation of neuron growth in the hippocampuses of rats, but it also seems to alleviate depression and anxiety. The hippocampuses is the part of the brain associated with learning and memory, and scientists have long suspected a correlation between depression and a slow down in neuron regeneration in that area.
The same results were achieved whether a natural form or a chemical form of cannabinoids was used in the tests. The one thing the scientists did warn people about was the drug they were using, HU-210, was actually 100 times more powerful than the THC(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) found in your regular street pot. Since the rats were injected twice a day for ten days with this chemical. It appears it would take an enormous amount of street pot to achieve the same results.
Dr. Zhang was also quick to point out that there are countless differences between rats and humans and there was no way of predicting whether the results would be the same. However it does make me wonder how this news will be treated by some of the more dedicated smokers of cannabis; how this will this news be received on the street?
In honour of, and with apologies to, Mr. Harold Pinter, I present the following dramatic re enactment of a scene that may never take place.
(The lights come up on a street corner. Two individuals, gender is irrelevant, are sitting on a bench. Throughout the scene they never make eye contact, mostly they are stare off into space.)
Article comments
1 - Steve S
I was going to make a comment, but I forgot what I was going to say.
2 - Teri In Cali
This is hilarious!!!! Thank you.
3 - tom porter
I myself never liked it but know many people who use it and can honestly say that despite the argument that it SHOULD be legalized it's not and people who use it and justify it's use are the same liberals that march on washington and bitch that the world is doing illegal things....If we're gonna make this illegal then make drinking illegal....alcahol has destroyed many more lives than pot and I have been party to the destrruction of families by liquor.
I know some very high level government and corperate people who smoke pot .I also know that most of them drink. I would ask anyone why they use any substance....I bet there are no good answers.
Needless to say....any substance that keeps people from reality is stupid for me but in america I guess it's everyones choice.
Please make sure that it only affects your life when it all goes bad . don't drive, have kids, or anyone who depends on your existence if you choose to escape reality rather than fix it
tom
4 - alienboy
Tom, there are a lot of presumptions in your words.
Firstly, you claim that people who use marijuana are liberals, but in fact drug use crosses all political barriers, as you yourself point out in your second paragraph.
I think you possibly meant to say "If we're gonna make this [il]legal then make drinking illegal", which most rational people would think more logical - if totally unlikely to happen.
The bottom line is that it is fun to take most drugs, including alcohol and even the great poison that is tobacco. I believe it's correct to say that only psychedelic drugs keep people from reality; others, like marijuana, simply augment it.
It is usually the physically addictive drugs like heroin, alcohol, crack and tobacco that cause serious problems, usually due to supply/demand dynamics conflicting with other life demands, if you know what I mean.
Driving under the influence of drugs which make tasks like driving potentially more dangerous, such as alcohol, heroin or LSD is always a bad idea, that goes without saying.
Taking drugs and escaping reality are not the same thing and many drugtaking people are not afraid of reality or incapable of fixing it should the need arise.
The whole issue of how and why marijuana was made illegal in the USA is a fascinating story and one of my favourite sites on the subject is by Jack Herer.
There is also a wide range of comparatively non-partisan drug information available at Erowid.
5 - Guppusmaximus
If the saying is true that drugs effect everyone differently, then why would making any of them legal change things for the better? My experience with both(Alchohol & Weed) has been the same...Hanging out with people who are bored and act really stupid.I believe that any drug can cause an addiction as to wether it causes huge physical withdrawals or not...I don't know. But, I do agree with Tom, anything that warps the perception of reality isn't a good thing to me and if you have a family or people who depend upon you then you're making a huge mistake doing any of that crap!!
6 - JCB
LOL! I did some serious researching for a Political Party about legalizing cannabis. We worked for about 8 months and our group of resarchers was comprised of health care professionals, law enforcement agents, lawyers, economists and researchers. We concluded that it was in the best interest to legalize cannabis in Puerto Rico. We have a very violent, drug-related crime scene.
We went far enough to suggest taxation and goverment involvement in the manufacturing of products, from the by products of cannabis, such as hemp.
That was in 1997. When we rendered the report, the party officials choked on the information and threw it in a drawer.
Not much has changed right now, but findings like this will force us to consider legalizing and de-criminalizing cannabis us.
Thanks for the info.
With All Due Respect
7 - volt
great news. but y is my memory so bad if its not the chronic use of chronic? guess i better get concerned bout the yeyo.
8 - jonas
becuse you need high dose of the synthetic cannibiniod not weed and all its other carcinogens
ps use a vaporizer only if you can
9 - bob marely
LEGALIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4:20
10 - weedy weederson
if alcohol is legal how can weed be illegal, alcohol is plain poison that destorys lives and kills brain cells come on people can't u see the truth or are u too blinded by the socio-politcal powers at be to see that herb on occasional use is mendcinal and what I consider mind expanding
11 - joshua
Marijuana gives me back memorys that i had previously lost. Memories from my deep past. I don't know anything about memory LOSS...