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Marijuana and Alzheimers

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KeisaCheeba

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I've heard they are beginning research in the use of marijuana for alzheimers patients. They say that cannabanoids ( not sure how to spell that) actually inhibit progressive memory loss...anyone have any info on this?
 
Cannabinoids are neuroprotective via both direct antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects and reduction in neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting excess glutamate release and consequent excitotoxicity.

They also stimulate release of neurotrophic factors particularly BDNF, which triggers growth and differentiation of new neurons in the olfactory bulb and also has effects on the glial "support" cells. These new cells then migrate to areas of the brain that are damaged and replace neurons that have died off.

I believe that cannabidiol is responsible for the antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects (maybe CB2 mediated but I'd have to look that up) and THC is responsible for the reduction in glutamate signalling via CB1.

However note that while reduced glutamate release does have a long term neuroprotective effect it is also responsible for the short term memory deficits associated with cannabis use, and so it may be difficult to seperate the long term beneficial effects from the short term disadvantages of cannabinoid agonists, hence why most of the current research in this area is focusing more on selective CB2 agonists.
 
I believe that cannabidiol is responsible for the antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects (maybe CB2 mediated but I'd have to look that up) and THC is responsible for the reduction in glutamate signalling via CB1.
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On a side note, I remember hearing a discussion of cannabidiol on NPR (Talk of the Nation, maybe, or maybe just a news break) that described it's ability to prevent cancer cells from turning into freakish replicators. They said something about it's ability to turn off the ability of cancer cells to replicate at an increased rate. I think it was something about turning off a gene, but I'm not entirely sure.

Cannabidiol will probably turn out to be the most beneficial cannabinoid after all. I wonder if there's any correlation between less cancer in smokers of indicas/shitty weed vs. high end sativa smokers. All those times I was glued to the couch were actually preventing cancer- shove that in those ONDCP commercials faces. Screens?
 
fastandbulbous said:
Anybody suffering from neuropathic pain might disagree as THC works as an analgesic when all others (opioids, NSAID, antiepileptics etc) have failed :D
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Well, I do suffer from neuropathic pain (peripheral neuropathy), and I found methadone and more recently tramadol to be absolutely incredible for it.

Gabapentin was nice for about a week.
 
Methadone's efficacy against neuropathic pain is usually said to be a result of the analgesic adjuvant effects of both monoamine uptake (also how tramadol works) and *more importantly NMDA antagonism* when in conjunction w/ mu1-opioid agonism (only racemethadone has both the u-opioid and NMDA antagonism).

We're only now building a good cellular map of the interactions and co-regulation of receptor systems. NMDA antagonism also interferes w/ development of tolerance. 5-HT4 agonists (specific ones) reverse opioid induced respiratory depression... though thats has lots to do w/ neuroanatomical layout. I believe the relationship between cannabinoids and delta-opioid receptor density modulation also counts on the 'newer' side of neurophysiology research.

You also must consider that neuropathic pain refers to a pain caused by a CLASS of pathologies, not one kind of pain. Whether the statistically most effective analgesic adjuvant mechanism is via GABA positive allosteric mod., monoamine repuptake, NMDA antagonism, CB1 agonism depends on whether your neuropathy is primary, or caused by lack of muscle-produced tropic factors, or immunologically mediated, or whaatever.
 
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Sf iam

San Francisco I Am has a great video on whether illegal cannabis clubs are really hurting medical marijuana patients with California Attorney General's recent crackdown down on medical cannabis clubs.

You can check out the video here:


http://www.sanfranciscoiam.com/videos/0faa12024b6c


San Francisco Iam also has a lot of other interesting video journalism bringing us stuff that the mainstream media isn’t.
 
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