Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's

Key Marijuana Compound Beats Current Alzheimer's Drugs In Test-Tube Study

(WebMD)  THC, the key compound in marijuana, may also be the key to new drugs for Alzheimer's disease.

That's because the marijuana compound blocks the formation of brain-clogging Alzheimer's plaques better than current Alzheimer's drugs.

The finding — in test-tube studies — comes from the lab of Kim Janda, Ph.D., director of the Worm Institute of Research and Medicine at Scripps Research Institute.

"While we are certainly not advocating the use of illegal drugs, these findings offer convincing evidence that THC possesses remarkable inhibitory qualities, especially when compared to [Alzheimer's drugs] currently available to patients," Janda says in a news release.

"Although our study is far from final, it does show that there is a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism through which THC may directly affect the progression of Alzheimer's disease."

Janda's team found that THC blocks an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which speeds the formation of amyloid plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

The Alzheimer's drugs Aricept and Cognex work by blocking acetylcholinesterase. When tested at double the concentration of THC, Aricept blocked plaque formation only 22 percent as well as THC, and Cognex blocked plaque formation only 7 percent as well as THC.

"THC and its analogs may provide an improved [treatment for] both the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer's disease," the researchers conclude.

The findings appear in the Aug. 9 online edition of the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, a publication of the American Chemical Society.

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SOURCES: Eubanks, L.M. Molecular Pharmaceutics, published online Aug. 9, 2006. News release, Scripps Research Institute. News release, American Chemical Society.

[propizza]

It is very clear to me that unimformed people like kgc1st are the reason marijuana is still illegal. A 1999 review by the Institute of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's most prestigious scientific advisory agency found marijuana to work better and with hunderes of less side effects than the current drugs fighting Glaucoma,Anorexia,Chemotheraphy indused nasea and AIDS wasting. But the US government continues to ignore their own top experts. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the F.D.A. making pronouncements that seem to be driven more by ideology than by science.
OH kgc1st. I have been a pot smoker for 20 years and my memory,learning and perception are just fine. As I was voted the best person in my field again this year by my 2500+ peers. As for my loss of coordination I am a 4.5 ranked tennis player and a scratch golfer and the only thing I am paranoid about is our government feeding people like you misinformation so they can keep their hand in my wallet fighting the "so called WAR ON DRUGS."

[bobgee_1999]

I don't smoke pot, and I'm guessing that neither does "kgc1st." But isn't it interesting that kgc1st is so opposed to medical use of marijuana? People abuse morphine, but nobody wants it outlawed. Further, though pot has been illegal since the 30s, people in every walk of life use it. Pot use is much more widespread than non-smokers believe. I personally know people of every age group and social strata that smoke marijuana, apparently without much ill effect. Marijuana has been demonized, just as we demonize anything we don't like---people of opposing political views, Muslims, etc.---and the danger of demonization is self-delusion, and the inability to deal with the facts.

[djmaleko]

Now if grandpa can only remember where he left his pipe.

[getcentered]

Cigarettes are legal.
Alcohol is legal.

Vicoden is legal. (Which is opium based, "vic-codine", morphine, heroin can be derived.)

What else? There are plenty.

Why not marijuana? (weed, herb, cannabis sativa, ganja, swag, grapes, nugs, etc)

We could tax like everything else.

We'd be fine. In order for society to be successful, we need to exercise resistance of EXCESS, in any way shape or form. Excess hurts when we drink too much, smoke too much, lie too much, eat too much, buy too much, pray too much, ect. We have to control ourselves.

Take it easy.

[kgc1st]

Sorry computer glitch

[kgc1st]

I would hope people don't miss the key word in the article, which is "may" May is a powerful word which means something could be true but not necssarily true. In my opionion this is just another ploy to say "hey smoking marijuana is good for you" Guess what? What was not included in the report is how continual use of the drug will create problems with memory,learning, distorted perception,difficulty with thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination,increased heart rate,paranoia, and calcifiy your brain cells all signs of Alzheimers. I think they were too high,intoxicated from too much smoking marijuana when they did their reseach

[kgc1st]

I would hope people don't miss the key word in the article, which is "may" May is a powerful word which means something could be true but not necssarily true. In my opionion this is just another ploy to say "hey smoking marijuana is good for you" Guess what? The study was conducted in good old California, little Denmark. What was not included in the report is how continual use of the drug will create problems with memory,learning, distorted perception,difficulty with thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination,increased heart rate,paranoia, and calcifiy your brain cells all signs of Alzheimers. I think they were too high,intoxicated from too much smoking marijuana when they did their reseach

[kgc1st]

I would hope people don't miss the key word in the article, which is "may" May is a powerful word which means something could be true but not necssarily true. In my opionion this is just another ploy to say "hey smoking marijuana is good for you" Guess what? The study was conducted in good old California, little Denmark. What was not included in the report is how continual use of the drug will create problems with memory,learning, distorted perception,difficulty with thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination,increased heart rate,paranoia, and calcifiy your brain cells all signs of Alzheimers. I think they were too high,intoxicated from too much smoking marijuana when they did their reseach

[kgc1st]

I would hope people don't miss the key word in the article, which is "may" May is a powerful word which means something could be true but not necssarily true. In my opionion this is just another ploy to say "hey smoking marijuana is good for you" Guess what? The study was conducted in good old California, little Denmark. What was not included in the report is how continual use of the drug will create problems with memory,learning, distorted perception,difficulty with thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination,increased heart rate,paranoia, and calcifiy your brain cells all signs of Alzheimers. I think they were too high,intoxicated from too much smoking marijuana when they did their reseach

[webdepot]

Even if they found THC cured cancer and prevented heart disease, the chances of having it legalized in this country are between slim and none....
Case in point: Oregon has legalized the medicinal use of THC, but the feds still put you in prison for having it or for growing it.
There has been more than one benefit discovered about THC, but this government must protect the profit margins of the drug companies at all costs.. You know... those wonderful, miracle drugs that come with a seven page book on possible side effects, up to and including death in some people... and these are the drugs that have passed muster and they allow??? Only in America...