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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Smoking pot can have antidepressant effect at low doses: study
CBC News
Wednesday 24 Oct 2007 A component of cannabis in small doses can act as a powerful antidepressant, but too much of the drug can cause the polar opposite effect, finds a study released Wednesday. The study, published in the Oct. 24 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, was conducted jointly by McGill University and a research institute affiliated with the University of Montreal. It finds that a form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis or marijuana, increased serotonin levels in the brains of laboratory rats when given in low doses. The depletion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that controls moods, leads to depression and in some cases psychosis. Anti-depression medications work by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain. However, when the doses were increased in the rats, the effect was described as completely reversed. McGill researcher Francis Bambico said the study seems to support anecdotal evidence that human smokers of marijuana experience positive effects, but they also experience unwanted effects like anxiety and agitation. http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/10/24/cannabis-study.html
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