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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Why A Joint A Day Could Keep The Doctor Away
ccguide Monday 21 Apr 2003 Pubdate: Sun, 20 Apr 2003 Source: Scotland On Sunday (UK) Copyright: 2003 The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Contact: Website: http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/405 Author: Tom Curtis Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom) WHY A JOINT A DAY COULD KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY CANNABIS will become the aspirin of the 21st century" if the early findings of new research are confirmed. It is thought the drug could protect against devastating illnesses including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease. Scientists at the Institute of Neurology in London said greater understanding of the properties of cannabis compounds was opening up new possibilities for treatments. The most optimistic predictions are that cannabis could have a wide range of preventative qualities when taken regularly, making it the "new aspirin". Originally seen as a painkiller, aspirin has increasingly been shown to help prevent conditions ranging from heart disease to breast cancer. Professor Alan Thompson and his colleagues wrote in the journal Lancet Neurology: "Basic research is discovering interesting members of this family of compounds that have previously unknown qualities, the most notable of which is the capacity for neuroprotection [protection of nerve cells." Cannabis is already used as a painkiller by many people, including multiple sclerosis sufferers, although medicines based on the drug have yet to be licensed. Famed for its perception-altering abilities - and for causing short-term memory loss - it now looks like the drug could slow the effects of ageing on the brain. The system of cannabinoid receptors - those areas of the nervous system to which the drug binds inside the body - is thought to help balance chemicals in the brain which regulate the rate at which nerve cells fire. By altering this system with cannabis, scientists believe it may be possible to arrest brain decay in conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. David Baker, the lead author of the Lancet review, said: "Something regulates this decay and if we could slow it by even a small fraction we might delay by a decade the point where someone loses their memory." A study by Baker and colleagues, in which the cannabinoid receptors were removed in mice, showed that the rate of nerve loss was increased, indicating its role in preserving brain function. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek
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