Cleveland NORML

THC Prevents MDMA Neurotoxicity in Mice.

Feb 02, 2011 -

THC Prevents MDMA Neurotoxicity in Mice.

Touriño C, Zimmer A, Valverde O.

Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Grup de Recerca en Neurobiologia del Comportament (GRNC), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. clara.tourino@upf.edu

PLoS One. 2010 Feb 10;5(2):e9143.

The majority of MDMA (ecstasy) recreational users also consume cannabis. Despite the rewarding effects that both drugs have, they induce several opposite pharmacological responses. MDMA causes hyperthermia, oxidative stress and neuronal damage, especially at warm ambient temperature. However, THC, the main psychoactive compound of cannabis, produces hypothermic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Therefore, THC may have a neuroprotective effect against MDMA-induced neurotoxicity. Mice receiving a neurotoxic regimen of MDMA (20 mg/kg x 4) were pretreated with THC (3 mg/kg x 4) at room (21 degrees C) and at warm (26 degrees C) temperature, and body temperature, striatal glial activation and DA terminal loss were assessed. To find out the mechanisms by which THC may prevent MDMA hyperthermia and neurotoxicity, the same procedure was carried out in animals pretreated with the CB(1) receptor antagonist AM251 and the CB(2) receptor antagonist AM630, as well as in CB(1), CB(2) and CB(1)/CB(2) deficient mice. THC prevented MDMA-induced-hyperthermia and glial activation in animals housed at both room and warm temperature. Surprisingly, MDMA-induced DA terminal loss was only observed in animals housed at warm but not at room temperature, and this neurotoxic effect was reversed by THC administration. However, THC did not prevent MDMA-induced hyperthermia, glial activation, and DA terminal loss in animals treated with the CB(1) receptor antagonist AM251, neither in CB(1) and CB(1)/CB(2) knockout mice. On the other hand, THC prevented MDMA-induced hyperthermia and DA terminal loss, but only partially suppressed glial activation in animals treated with the CB(2) cannabinoid antagonist and in CB(2) knockout animals. Our results indicate that THC protects against MDMA neurotoxicity, and suggest that these neuroprotective actions are primarily mediated by the reduction of hyperthermia through the activation of CB(1) receptor, although CB(2) receptors may also contribute to attenuate neuroinflammation in this process.

From PubMed.gov

Marijuana & Memory Loss: The Strain Makes All the Difference

Feb 02, 2011 - Arran Frood - Scientific American

From Scientific American

Smoking cannabis has long been associated with poor short-term memory, but a study now suggests that the strain of cannabis makes all the difference. In a test of short-term memory skills, only users of "skunk"-type strains exhibited impaired recall when intoxicated, whereas people who smoked hashish or herbal cannabis blends performed equally well whether they were stoned or sober.

The findings suggest that an ingredient more plentiful in some types of marijuana than in others may help to reduce the memory loss that some users suffer.

The key difference between the types of cannabis is the ratio of two chemicals found in all strains. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary active ingredient, and is responsible for the effects associated with the classic "high," including euphoria and giddiness but also anxiety and paranoia. The second chemical, cannabidiol, has more calming effects, and brain-imaging studies have shown that it can block the psychosis-inducing effects of THC2. Skunk-type strains of cannabis contain a higher ratio of THC to cannabidiol than do hashish or herbal types.

Valerie Curran, a psychopharmacologist from University College London who led the latest study, says that if habitual users must partake they should be encouraged to use strains with higher levels of cannabidiol, rather than using skunk. She also argues that studying cannabidiol could provide insight into the mechanics of memory formation, and that it may have therapeutic benefits for disorders involving memory deficits. The findings are published October 1 in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Read the Full Article at Scientific American

Drug-sniffing dogs are affected by their handlers' beliefs

Jan 31, 2011 -

From Physorg.com

Drug- and explosives-sniffing dog/handler teams' performance is affected by human handlers' beliefs, possibly in response to subtle, unintentional handler cues, a study by researchers at UC Davis has found.

The study, published in the January issue of the journal Animal Cognition, found that detection-dog/handler teams erroneously "alerted," or identified a scent, when there was no scent present more than 200 times — particularly when the handler believed that there was scent present.

"It isn't just about how sensitive a dog's nose is or how well-trained a dog is. There are cognitive factors affecting the interaction between a dog and a handler that can impact the dog's performance," said Lisa Lit, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology and the study's lead author.

"These might be as important — or even more important — than the sensitivity of a dog's nose."

Read the rest at Physorg.com

"Jury acquits BG shop owner of selling drug paraphernalia"

Jan 31, 2011 - Sentinel Tribune

From the Sentinel Tribune Daily Newspaper

A Bowling Green shop owner has been found not guilty of selling drug paraphernalia.

A jury on Wednesday determined that Mike Husain, who owns Mezmorize, at 181 S. Main St., has no control over how his products are used once they leave his store.

Bowling Green Police executed a search warrant at the business —  recognizable by a large tie-dyed sheet in the window —in April and seized items including glass water pipes, other pipes, a detox agent used to mask drug use during urine tests, and synthetic urine.

“It’s everything that is part of the drug trade, at least what we considered,” stated city prosecuting attorney Matt Reger. 

“All of those items taken together constitute paraphernalia,” with the purpose to be used with illegal drugs, he said this morning.

The jury, however, took less than two hours Wednesday night to report its verdict.

Husain, 38, who lives in Wooster, considered the conduct by city harassment, with the intent “to set people up.”

The case, which he called “bogus,” was “a waste of taxpayer dollars,” he stated today. “They just want us out of town.”

The items in his store “are obtained legally and we sell them in a legal fashion for legal purposes.”

The store carries dozens of herbs for use with the pipes, and refuses to sell to anyone who asks whether the items will help create a “high,” Husain stated.

Once the merchandise leaves the store, “we can’t control what they do. ...”

Mezmerize opened in the fall of 2009; in April 2010 an informant made a purchase that resulted in a search warrant conducted by Bowling Green Police.

Muncipal Court Judge Mark Reddin has ordered police to return the items taken in that raid which, according to Husain, are valued at nearly $10,000.

Read the rest at the Sentinel Tribune

Medical Marijuana Stops Spread of Breast Cancer - NBC NEWS

Jan 29, 2011 -

San Francisco
Medical Marijuana Stops Spread of Breast Cancer - NBC NEWS
Marianne Favro/KNTV
Reporting
EXCERPTED FROM PUBMED:
Cannabidiol enhances the inhibitory effects of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on human glioblastoma cell proliferation and survival:

The cannabinoid 1 (CB(1)) and cannabinoid 2 (CB(2)) receptor agonist Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been shown to be a broad-range inhibitor of cancer in culture and in vivo, and is currently being used in a clinical trial for the treatment of glioblastoma. It has been suggested that other plant-derived cannabinoids, which do not interact efficiently with CB(1) and CB(2) receptors, can modulate the actions of Delta(9)-THC. There are conflicting reports, however, as to what extent other cannabinoids can modulate Delta(9)-THC activity, and most importantly, it is not clear whether other cannabinoid compounds can either potentiate or inhibit the actions of Delta(9)-THC. We therefore tested cannabidiol, the second most abundant plant-derived cannabinoid, in combination with Delta(9)-THC. In the U251 and SF126 glioblastoma cell lines, Delta(9)-THC and cannabidiol acted synergistically to inhibit cell proliferation. The treatment of glioblastoma cells with both compounds led to significant modulations of the cell cycle and induction of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis as well as specific modulations of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and caspase activities. These specific changes were not observed with either compound individually, indicating that the signal transduction pathways affected by the combination treatment were unique. Our results suggest that the addition of cannabidiol to Delta(9)-THC may improve the overall effectiveness of Delta(9)-THC in the treatment of glioblastoma in cancer patients.

PMID: 20053780