Marijuana has been an extremely hot topic in today’s society. From states one-by-one legalizing medical marijuana to the straight up legalization of the drug for recreational use, it is something that we hear about on a normal basis. You can argue that marijuana is entirely bad and should be illegal, but the science of pot disagrees. It does have its benefits, in particular treatment of certain medical conditions.
The plant Cannabis, from which marijuana is derived, contains the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is what causes the effects of the drug. It is psychoactive and can cause relaxation, anxiety, “the munchies,” and other effects. THC is a member of the cannabinoid family, meaning that it activates a certain family of receptors in the brain. However, our own body produces substances that are very similar to THC – endocannabinoids. These endocannabinoids have many of the same effects of marijuana, minus the psychoactive part. This similarity is why marijuana can be so beneficial medically.
First, a little on how endocannabinoids work in our body. Endocannabinoids activate two main types of receptors in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord): the CB1 and CB2 receptors. When endocannabinoids bind to these receptors, they can affect memory, cognition, appetite, and sensation of pain, among other things. Two different substances do most of the binding to the CB1 and CB2 receptors. Anandamide (AEA) was the first endocannabinoid discovered and effects not only the nervous system, but also the immune and digestive systems. 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is very similar to AEA but is made and broken down differently and is also found in higher concentration in the brain than AEA.
Both AEA and 2-AG have huge effects on cell survival. When an endocannabinoid binds to its receptor, it activates a number of different pathways. Some of these pathways can trigger cell death, while others can stimulate cell survival. Both of these effects can be important medically. For example, cancer is an overproduction of certain cells, and endocannabinoids can help regulate that overproduction and cause some of those cells to die. This is a good thing, as it reduces the size of the cancerous growth. In contrast, endocannabinoids can also help prevent against excitotoxicity in the brain, which can prevent the death of neurons. This is important for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. A great deal of research needs to be done to help determine when or why endocannabinoids sometimes cause cell death and sometimes promote cell survival, but the information we currently have is a good start.
So what does this have to do with the legalization of marijuana? Because marijuana and THC have the same effect on the CB1 and CB2 receptors as AEA and 2-AG, it can be used to treat some of the medical conditions listed above. Other effects of cannabinoids include increased appetite and decrease intraocular pressure, which is why marijuana can also be used to treat anorexia and glaucoma, respectively. Marijuana, however, is not the perfect drug. Due to the psychoactive effects of THC, using it for medical purposes can also have some unwanted side effects. Current research is working on creating synthetic marijuana-like drugs that do not have the psychoactive problem, like cannabidiol for example. For the meantime, though, don’t automatically assume that because marijuana has been illegal in the past that the legalization of it – medicinally or recreationally – is necessarily a bad thing.
Marijuana Isn’t Just for Getting High
