Dope Lessens Ecstasy Harm
by Sarah Stock, Medical Reporter.
The harmful effects of ecstasy on brain cells and people's moods could be lessend by smoking dope at the same time, a world-first study by Australian researchers has found.
Sydney University associate professor of psychology Iain McGregor and a research team found in experiments on rats that ecstasy caused anxiousness and depletion of brain messenger cells.
However, when rats are given ecstasy and cannabis together they have less depletion of brain cells and are less anxious. While they are not as badly affected as rats given cannabis alone or no drugs, the effects are not as bad as those brought about by ecstasy alone.
Dr McGregor said the study was done because about half of ecstasy users at dance parties also used cannabis.
Because ecstasy toxic to nerve cells, it can lead to depression, anxiety or memory loss.
The results of the study will be presented at a meeting of the Australian Neuroscience Society in Sydney next week.
Dr McGregor said be believed the reason cannabis use lessend the effects of ecstasy was because cannabis cools the brain. Many of the harmful effects of ecstasy are believed to be caused by the drug's overheating the brain.
However, Dr McGregor said there may be other harmful effects associated with combining the two drugs that the study did not monitor. He said generally combining drugs was very dangerous and could have unintended consequences.
"It is not a rational approach to safeguard your health to take two drugs instead of one," he said.
by Sarah Stock, Medical Reporter.
The harmful effects of ecstasy on brain cells and people's moods could be lessend by smoking dope at the same time, a world-first study by Australian researchers has found.
Sydney University associate professor of psychology Iain McGregor and a research team found in experiments on rats that ecstasy caused anxiousness and depletion of brain messenger cells.
However, when rats are given ecstasy and cannabis together they have less depletion of brain cells and are less anxious. While they are not as badly affected as rats given cannabis alone or no drugs, the effects are not as bad as those brought about by ecstasy alone.
Dr McGregor said the study was done because about half of ecstasy users at dance parties also used cannabis.
Because ecstasy toxic to nerve cells, it can lead to depression, anxiety or memory loss.
The results of the study will be presented at a meeting of the Australian Neuroscience Society in Sydney next week.
Dr McGregor said be believed the reason cannabis use lessend the effects of ecstasy was because cannabis cools the brain. Many of the harmful effects of ecstasy are believed to be caused by the drug's overheating the brain.
However, Dr McGregor said there may be other harmful effects associated with combining the two drugs that the study did not monitor. He said generally combining drugs was very dangerous and could have unintended consequences.
"It is not a rational approach to safeguard your health to take two drugs instead of one," he said.