Marijuana has been ingrained in American popular culture since the 1970’s. Most Americans know about pot, weed, Mary Jane, and the like but what most people don’t know is that we all have cannabis-like molecules all over in our bodies. Endocannabinoids, while they don’t produce the high of THC, they are involved in many chemical pathways throughout the body. Researchers now believe that these pathways may be involved in anti-cancer functions. Because these molecules are already present in the body, they could be one way the human body fights cancer on its own. This revelation has led many people to suggest that the use of medical marijuana can be a critical step to the treatment and cure of cancer.
The way most of these anti-cancer pathways work is by promoting programmed cell death, or apoptosis, in cancerous cells. One of the foggy parts of this story is how endocannabinoids target cancer cells specifically and leave healthy cells alone. This is a crucial question that needs to be answered before mainstream cancer treatment with endocannabinoids can be viable. The knowledge we have today will serve as a great starting point for more discovery of endocannabinoid’s cancer-fighting potential but is not yet sufficient.
The stigma around marijuana use is still greatly accepted by mainstream America and this will also slow down the acceptance of this new, radical treatment. With medical marijuana bills passing in several states and Colorado legalizing marijuana outright recently, the tides of public opinion seem to be changing. This will go a long way to not only making marijuana treatment more socially acceptable, but pushing scientists to study its effects in an effort to fill in some of the glaring blanks still left in our current understanding of endocannabinoids.
Marijuana and a Change of Mind
From day one, kids are taught that drugs are wrong. Drugs will destroy your life, and you will hurt your loved ones. In my lifetime, medical marijuana has been legalized and now states are legalizing recreational marijuana. If you would have asked me at the beginning of this class if I thought marijuana was okay, I would have said no. After reading this article, my mind has started to change. While I don’t like the idea of using recreationally, I think that there is value in using it medically.
Marijuana has been used recreationally for hundreds of years. The main component of this drug is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). This is what causes the psychoactive effects that we know like hallucinations and paranoia. Scientists figured that if marijuana was causing neurological responses, there must be receptors in the body for it. They eventually discovered the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS). This system consists of two different receptors called CB1 and CB2. While these receptors bind components of marijuana they also bind neurotransmitters that are created in the body called endocannabinoids. While there are many details concerning the ECS, the most important thing is that this system takes part in the control of cell functions. If this system experiences changes, cell death is a possibility.
While the recreational use of marijuana hasn’t been accepted by the whole of society, medical marijuana has started to be condoned in some states. Minnesota recently passed a law that would allows certain patients to use it. The drug itself has to be in pill or vapor form, and there are many limitations on how it will be administered and distributed. Medical marijuana can be used to treat pain, severe nausea, anorexia in HIV/AIDS patients, and muscle spasms in MS. Research on medical marijuana has shown some some promising results for different diseases. There is evidence that it could be used to actually stop the spread and or kill cancer cells. There are studies that show it stopping seizures in patients with epilepsy. Research even shows that it could help with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. That is just a sample of the amazing research that’s happening right now.
Learning about these different uses for medical marijuana has made me more open to the idea of its legalization. I’m still hesitant about legalizing all forms of marijuana, but that comes from the fear of not knowing what would happen. We are conducting the best social experiment right now in Colorado and the state of Washington. So far things have gone smoothly. Crime is down and tax revenue is high. I don’t know if that’s enough to convince me that it should be legal, but it does make me curious. The most important thing that we can do right now is to study and learn about marijuana and the ECS because it might just change your mind.
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/390911/mod_resource/content/0/endocannabinoids.pdf
http://skunkskool.com/index.php/topic/4466-understanding-cannabinoids/
Marijuana and Cancer Treatment: What is he smoking?
Medical marijuana is a topic that has received much attention, both positive and negative, in recent years. With many states legalizing the drug’s medicinal use and others legalizing its recreational use, the topic deserves some much needed scientific attention. A previous blog discussing medical marijuana and its alternatives from ssvendse (link: http://cobbersonthebrain.areavoices.com/2014/10/06/if-you-want-to-party-with-mary-jane-just-say-so/) does not give the full picture when it comes to the potential use of medical marijuana.
How do the cannabinoids like THC and cannabidiol, the active ingredients in marijuana, work? As my neurochemistry class found out last week from an article, the body contains receptors on the cells called cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are found in the brain as well as in other parts of the body like the immune system. The cannabinoid receptors are activated by substances called endocannabinoids which are naturally made by the body. The two most researched of these are AEA and 2-AG. THC and other cannabinoids act like these naturally made substances and activate the cannabinoid receptors.
Cannabinoid receptors, called CB1 and CB2 receptors, in turn cause things to happen in the cell that eventually results in the halting of cell growth and sometimes cell death. These receptors are more common in cells such as cancer cells and immune system cells. Thus, cannabinoids such as AEA and THC are currently being researched for their potential use in treatments of cancer. Other lesser known cannabinoids such as cannabidiol, like ssvendse mentions, have been researched for this purpose as well.
THC has been shown to treat some cancers in mice, since the drug will preferentially go to cancer cells due to their higher amounts of cannabinoid receptors. Of course, one downside is that the immune system cells are also targeted by cannabinoids. Medical marijuana which contains helpful cannabinoids such as THC and cannabidiol may therefore prove effective at treatment of certain cancers. Some downsides include that cannabinoids attack the immune system as well as the cancer and marijuana in high concentrations can cause psychoactive effects.
Though ssvendse purports that only purified cannabidiol should be considered the valid form of medicinal cannabinoid and that marijuana in its natural form is really about people wanting to get high, I propose that society should allow both options as valid medical treatments without assuming people merely want the drug for its euphoric effect. Almost all powerful medical drugs used today have psychoactive effects: morphine (which is an opiate), Vicodin, and anesthetics to name a few. Marajuana falls into a similar category or a drug that has both medicinal and psychoactive effects. This does not mean that every patient who would like these drugs for medicinal purpose just wants to “party with the drug,” it merely means that for these patients, the benefits outweigh the negative side effects.
Sure, a more purified version of cannabidiol is also effective for medicinal purposes, but the recently FDA approved version is the only one of its kind and was thus given an Orphan Drug Designation which gives this drug a cap on the market for seven years. This is usually when new drugs are very expensive. This drug is also only approved for one exclusive type of cancer and is not as much of a miracle drug as ssvendse may have you believe. Medical marijuana should therefore not be discounted due to its economic availability and broader uses in the medical field. A drug cannot be dismissed as a party drug merely due to a “high” feeling that it causes, if that were the case, we would have to put many modern medicines on the shelf for just the people who have ulterior motives than treatment of disease.
References:
B.M. Fonseca et al. Prostaglandins & other Lipid Mediators (2013) 102–103:13–30
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/patient/page2
Marijuana: Ever Present, Ever Problematic
A quick stop over to Billboards website and you just might find “4/20 Songs: 20 Smokin’ Tunes About Weed.” A list that includes songs such as “Because I Got High” – Afro Man, “Roll Another Number (For the Road)” – Neil Young, “Weed With Willie” – Toby Keith, “Marijuana” – Kid Cudi, “Smoke Two Joints” – Sublime and “Mary Jane” – Rick James to name just a few. Marijuana has been ever present in our culture for quite some time and though some of the songs found on Billboard’s list rave about it, there has all too often been a negative connotation towards it. The topic of discussion in this post is; Is Marijuana really that bad?
Marijuana, also known as Cannabis sativa, has the active ingredient delta nine-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is apart of a class of chemical components called the cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are produced naturally in the brain (at low levels), two most common being Anandamide (AEA), which helps control things such as motor activity and stimulate appetite, and 2-arachidonoylgkycerol (2-AG), which plays a part in being a messenger molecule in different systems such as the immune system. THC, AEA and 2-AG all bind to the same receptors in the brain, CB1 and CB2. The pathways that these three compounds have are very complex and not everything is completely understood about them and how they work, but we know they produce similar effects when bound to their receptors. Though not everything about THC is understood, the last week of class has really made me question if marijuana is really that bad because cannabinoids can do some great things in the body, not just “get you high.”
THC is neuroprotective, it can help treat dementia, obesity, diabetes and epilepsy as well as many others. The most surprising to me is that marijuana has been investigated as a possible treatment for cancer due to THC’s ability to induce apoptosis in cancerous cells. Apoptosis is just a fancy word that means programmed cell death. This is great! I thought, why are we not looking more into this?! Well it turns out that scientists are trying to better understand THC’s pathway in order to synthesize similar compounds that could produce that same positive affects it has without the negatives like hallucinations. Unfortunately, due to the little amount that is known about THC, there is no telling if synthetic drugs or medical use of marijuana will be all good news or if a dark horse will come riding in later. In example of the unknown of medical marijuana in particular is scientists do not know the long-term effects it has. So for example if a child is given medical marijuana to combat their epileptic seizures, we do not know if early use of this will affect them later in their lives.
Recreational marijuana has been legalized in the states of Washington and Colorado with various other states having legalized the medical use of it. So back to the beginning question, is Marijuana really that bad? The answer I think is best for this seemingly simple question is only time will tell. It has positive effects in the medicinal world, it would boost the economy of the US if legalized everywhere, but certain strains of it cause psychoactive affects and overall not much is known about it when compared to the grand scheme of things. Though marijuana is not great enough to be used as an excuse for anything like Afro Man tries to do in his “Because I Got High,” it has the potential to be great to our body if/when science is able to learn more about it.
http://www.billboard.com/articles/list/1558962/420-songs-20-smokin-tunes-about-weed?page=0%2C1
Venturing into the Unknown Marijuana and You
Lately Marijuana (Cannabis) has been a hot topic in the news, as it has been heatedly debated on whether or not it should be legalized. Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize its recreational use in 2012. With the legalization of Marijuana in these states many people have looked at the pros and cons to its use. In recent studies Marijuana has been shown to have potential anti-cancer affects, increase insulin sensitivity, and help control the storage of lipids. The active ingredient in Marijuana called delta nine-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is what gives the psychoactive side affects of the drug. So much research is being done in synthesizing a compound similar to THC. This drug would thus allow utilization of the THC pathway, without its psychoactive affects, to help combat diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
However, not much is known about how exactly these drugs work in the body. There have been many possible biological pathways that have been sketched out, but research has been limited thus far. This uncertainty is what many times separate those who side with the pros of the drug and those who side with the cons. The question becomes then, is the drug worth the relief that its users feel without knowing how it exactly works? In fact, many of the medications that are used today have biological pathways and functions that are not well understood by physicians and scientists. There are also drugs that are medically used as pain relievers that are derivatives of much more controversial drugs. For instance, the very common pain killer morphine is a derivative of the drug heroine. However, most people do not complain of its use.
Thus in the case of knowledge and medicine, is venturing into the unknown worth it? At what point does one decide that the side affects of a drug are worth the relief of some symptoms? For cancer patients, marijuana offers some pain relief, increased appetite, and helps to prevent nausea. For people who become terminally ill, is it not acceptable for them to have some relief in their last days? For these people the drug becomes beneficial. However, some people would argue that its ambiguity should cause many to think twice before using.
There is still so much to learn about marijuana and how it may affect our bodies. With states legalizing the recreational use of the drug it opens up the possibility for clinical trials and more ways to study the drug and its affects. Although, Marijuana has shown some possible anti-cancer and other health benefits, there is no way of knowing yet how it could possibly play a role in preventative treatment and its side affects should not be overlooked. However, with all science it is worth noting that only research into the drug’s functions and pathways will reveal its destruction as well as its potential.
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/390911/mod_resource/content/0/endocannabinoids.pdf
If you want to party with Mary Jane, just say so.
Legalizing marijuana has been a hot topic in media recently. In class last week we talked about the way that marijuana affects the body and the different chemical pathways that are important in these processes. The pathways in total are called the endocannabanoid pathways. We learned that this pathway is incredibly complicated and is not well known.
What we do know, however, is that THC is the active ingredient in marijuana. THC can do many great things in the body. It often is neuroprotective, it can act as an anti-inflammatory, and it can cause apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells. These are great things! However, THC also has psychoactive effects. This begs the question, are there alternatives to THC that can be as effective as THC in the body without having the psychoactive side effects? The answer is yes! There is a medicine that was recently approved by the FDA to mimic the actions of THC and it is without the psychoactive side effects found in THC. Have you heard of this great option though? My guess is probably not because of…
It seems that the legalization of medical marijuana has been such a big deal because some individuals just want to get high. When we have legitimate medicinal options such as cannabidiol, with the only difference being that there are no psychoactive effects, what benefit would legalizing medicinal marijuana actually give patients? If certain individuals wanted to smoke marijuana, they should just say so. We are seeing states legalize and consider legalizing recreational marijuana and that is a whole different discussion. Recreational marijuana can be a great source of tax revenue for a state, but if these individuals that are pushing for this hide behind medical marijuana then it can tarnish the movement for medical marijuana. Just think of it this way, when you first heard of medical marijuana, what did mental image formed right away? And so I say: if you want to party with Mary Jane, just say so.
Marijuana Isn’t Just for Getting High
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.
Relax, Grandma. It's just a little weed.
Marijuana has shown ever increasing promise as a treatment for cancer, dementia, epilepsy, glaucoma, obesity, diabetes… the list goes on and on. Scientists are currently searching for a synthetic alternative to the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, that will produce the same responses without all the hassle of any of the psychoactive negative side effects, such as hallucinations and paranoia. But while researchers hunt for their miracle drug, the general public isn’t quite so convinced. Though states such as Colorado have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, a national resistance to marijuana legalization still remains.
For the first time ever, a 2013 Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans now favor legalizing marijuana, but just barely (http://www.gallup.com/poll/165539/first-time-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana.aspx). While the young adults of today’s society are all for cannabis use, the senior citizens of our society don’t quite agree. After designating the plant as an illegal drug for the past century, perhaps the stigma of the term “marijuana” proves to be just too much. Despite the stigma, medicinal marijuana could be a great alternative to the grim chemotherapy and radiation treatments we put our loved ones through to fight their cancer. Or an actual treatment for the Dementia that steals our grandparents, parents, friends, and family away.
Although we have yet to find the perfect drug blend that provides the benefits of marijuana without all the side effects, scientists are well are on their way. Researchers have discovered cannabidiol, another active ingredient in marijuana that produces many of the positive effects, without most of the negative side effects. And while we don’t quite understand all the pathways and receptors involved in our bodily system that THC or cannabidiol acts on, the most recent research is quite promising, as we make our way toward learning exactly how marijuana causes hallucinations, appetite stimulation, and cancer cell death, among other effects within our bodies. In addition, researchers are looking for other variants of THC and cannabidiol that may stimulate specific beneficial responses such as bone growth to fight osteoporosis, relieve muscle spasms for patients with MS, and eliminate inflammation for those with Crohn’s Disease.
So, before you write off legalizing medical marijuana, I encourage you to learn more about what the most recent research says and be open to its potential. Let’s not forget about the analogous drug morphine, the socially acceptable and commonly used pain killer, which is in fact just a variant of heroine. With more research and studies on marijuana we may be able to discover new, safer treatments and maybe even cures for even the most horrendous diseases. Don’t let the stigma marijuana carries prevent you from understanding the great healing benefits we might be able to unlock from the iconic seven-leafed plant.
Cannabis: More Than Meets the Eye
Marijuana is a type of cannabinoid which has had a long-held reputation for recreational drug use throughout the world. The main plant source, Cannabis sativa, has been cultivated for generations because of its psychotropic effects. In the last two decades, it has emerged as a legal form of drug treatment for patients with cancer, Tourette syndrome, eating disorders, and many other medical issues. The use of marijuana as a therapeutic tool continues to be a social and political issue. Twenty states have approved the use of medical marijuana since 1996. Colorado has implemented the most recent marijuana legislature, by legalizing recreational as well as medical usage. Other states may be soon to follow pending the economic and social outcomes.
With all this hype around the topic, what do we really know about its effects? I know I am guilty of minimalizing marijuana usage solely as a means to get high. In the article this week, I learned that there is much more to the drug. The key to marijuana’s medical usage lies in its dominant chemical component, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Its discovery has directed research towards finding cannabis derivatives which have the same positive results within the body without the unwanted psychological effects.
Humans have a built-in system that is acted upon by cannabinoids, such as marijuana, as well as cannabinoid-like compounds native to the body, called endocannabinoids. The most common endocannabinoids include anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG). The discovery of naturally occurring compounds similar to cannabinoids that act upon the same receptors was the first major step to discovering its potential usage. The endocannabinoids act on receptors, called CB1 receptors, that are localized in areas of the brain which control memory, cognition, movement, and pain reception.
Both AEA and 2-AG induce the same physiological effects as marijuana such as numbing of pain, motor depression, and a trance-like state. The endocannabinoids play a role in a number of different systems within the body including the central nervous system, immune, endocrine, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and more. This highlights the biochemical importance of the endogenous cannabinoids and the potential for cannabinoids such as marijuana for drug treatments for a broad range of diseases.
On a cellular level, the endocannabinoid system is vital for balancing cell production and cell death depending on the factors that interact. By controlling the rate of cell growth and death, the endocannabinoid system may play a vital role in regulating different types of cancers, such as breast carcinoma and prostate. One method of activation is through the adenylyl cylase and ERK activation. Another mechanism induces superxoide anion formation and caspase-3 formation, a key protein in many pathways that lead to cell death. A third pathway involving CB2 activation involves increased levels of ceramide, a lipid, that induces mitochondrial stress. In the end, the cell is destroyed which is important when regulating harmful cancer cells.
A lot of people attribute marijuana use to teenage misuse. We forget about the cancer patient who is using it to induce their appetite during chemotherapy treatments. Or the person with multiple sclerosis who uses it to stop muscle spasms. I believe that there are health-related benefits to the drug, but they are yet to be refined. This review covered just a few of the areas that could really benefit from developing effective cannabinoid-like drugs. The debate over legalizing one drug overshadows the benefits that its derivatives may have in controlling the same disorders without the psychological effects. It is important to take a step back from our previous conceptions and look at the possible positive uses of marijuana and other cannabinoids, because there is still a lot more to the story.
Sources used:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/state-laws-related-to-marijuana
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1098882313000087
Cannabis: Reaching a New “High”
Cannabis: Reaching a New “High”
We humans have a close relationship with the kingdom of plants. Produce graces our table each night at dinner with a cornucopia of colors and flavors. Age-old oaks stand tall in their glory providing shade over our parks and dropping leaves for our children to pile. And who can forget the marvelous flowers that fill the air with delicious scents? But there is a plant the strikes controversy in the general public. Some give it praise for its effects while others shun it for the same reason. This plant is cannabis.
Cannabis is notoriously associated with the production of marijuana, a drug that causes a slew of physical and psychoactive effects. But it is not the whole cannabis plant that causes these effects. Within the plant is a chemical called Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is much more commonly known as THC. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that is responsible for the variety of effects on the body. So how exactly does this happen?
When THC is ingested, it travels through the cells of the body searching for two specific proteins that will receive the THC with warm welcome. These proteins are called CB1 and CB2 and are specialized types of proteins called receptors. While many proteins in the body are used to process the nutrients we eat or to stimulate growth of our muscles, these receptors are used as our body’s communication network.
Imagine that you have just received a text message from your spouse that reads “Can you stop and pick up milk on your way home from work?” Assuming that you don’t reply “I’m pretty busy, can you do it instead?” this text would signal a response from you that would cause you to stop at the grocery store and coincidentally purchase a gallon of milk. This same situation can be applied to how THC affects the CB1 and CB2 receptors. Think of THC as the text message that signals you, acting as the CB1/CB2 receptor, to respond. After receiving the message, you then work to accomplish the task that was asked of you.
Ok, perhaps radio waves from cell phone towers are slightly different that chemical signaling between the cells of the body, but you get the point. Anyway, these CB1 receptors are found throughout your body, but happen to be concentrated in the brain while CB2 receptors tend to localize in the immune system. When THC locates and binds to these receptors, it triggers them to inhibit another protein called adenylyl cyclase. Adenylyl cyclase may be hard to pronounce, but it is central in activating and stopping many responses carried out by the body. You can think of adenylyl cyclase as a sort of “headquarters” that receives the signals from many receptors and coordinates the variety of chemical signals it receives and translates them into physical actions, or in the case of marijuana, the well-known list of physical and psychological changes in the body such as appetite, pain and pleasure, memory, and mood.
But why are these receptors found in our body in the first place? Were they placed in us simply because God wanted us to experience the effects of cannabis? Of course not! The human body is very efficient, and the CB1 and CB2 receptors do in fact have a normal purpose that does not include marijuana. Normally, these receptors are stimulated by two chemicals called anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) that the body produces naturally. These two molecules are called endocannabinoids (endo = in, cannabinoid = cannabis-like, i.e.- cannabis-like chemicals produced in the body) are the intended targets of the CB1/CB2 receptors. Although these two molecules do not cause the same psychotropic effects found in THC, they still regulate many of the same body functions such as appetite, cardiovascular activity, sensation of pain, and even bone mass!
So then, how can we use this information for the advancement of modern medicine? Interestingly, researchers are looking into developing pharmaceuticals that are similar to THC, but that do not cause the psychotropic effects that complicate prescribing them to the general public. So far, a drug called cannabidiol is emerging as a likely contender for this job. Already we know that these drugs can stimulate appetite and can be used for the treatment of glaucoma or pain, but new findings suggest that they might also be useful in the treatment of cancer as well.
I don’t want to bore you to death with in depth explanations about each of these, but the moral of the story is that it is very likely that we will see advances in the treatment of many medical conditions by using the information gained from studying these cannabis-like molecules.
It all started with a little plant called cannabis. And when we just so happened to set it on fire, we discovered that there were some effects! It was this creativity that sparked a revolutionary movement to learn more about the human body, unearthing a new class of useful medications and functions in the process. Cannabis certainly is a controversial little plant in popular culture, but its usefulness will likely help us to achieve the next pinnacle in medicine, or perhaps appropriately put, a new high.
Final thoughts on Endocannabinoids written by Steven Dotzler