No High Medical Marijuana

[Trip]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/2011...theweek/213884

New York – Scientists believe they can isolate the pain-easing benefits of medical marijuana — so sufferers can consume it without becoming foggy and paranoid

What is marijuana without the high? Still a very effective painkiller. And now, scientists believe they can harness the drug's anaesthetic action while doing away with its psychedelic effects. In a new paper published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, Professor Li Zhang and a team of scientists at the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism report that THC can potentially be used as a side-effect-free painkiller. Is a new class of "non-psychotropic cannabinoids" on the way? Here's a brief guide:

What is this breakthrough exactly?
Zhang and his team discovered that tetrahydrocannabinol (more commonly known as THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, produces different effects by bonding to different receptors in the brain. Scientists have known for years that THC bonds with a certain receptor to produce the classic disorienting marijuana high. But now researchers have identified precisely where THC targets the nervous system to lessen anxiety and dull pain. Hence, the potential to satisfy medical marijuana's desire for pure pain relief.

How'd they figure this out?
By experimenting on mice, naturally. Scientists blocked the pain-reducing receptors in the stoned rodents' brains, then subjected them to a "tail-flick test" — hitting mices' tails with "focused heat" — and counted how long it took for them to respond. The fact that the mice still felt pain, even when they were dosed with THC, "confirms that the drug's pain-relief and psychotropic effects can be decoupled," says Andy Coghlan at The New Scientist.

So... THC pain pills?
Quite possibly. "Soon," says Annalee Newitz at IO9, "people whose stomachs are too tender for aspirin or ibuprofin may be swallowing THC pills to get rid of headaches."

Could another result be THC pills that do nothing but get you high?
It's the question recreational users will be pondering: "Is there a way to create a synthetic form of THC that does nothing but get you high, without all those pesky 'medicinal' side-effects?" asks Newitz at IO9. Stay tuned.

So the big question is what some of you medical marijuana fans think of this? I think it's marvelous science and could get the the benefits of marijuana legal in all of the states if we no longer have the high associated with it.

[Mr Lefty]

personally I don't think it was bad to begin with... it's a fear or stereotype from ages ago...

it's like taking the alcohol out of wine so now we can drink it solely for the antioxidants...

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Mr Lefty

personally I don't think it was bad to begin with... it's a fear or stereotype from ages ago...

it's like taking the alcohol out of wine so now we can drink it solely for the antioxidants...

I don't either, I think we should be allowed to use it recreationally, but that is unlikely to happen. However, if this removes the stigmata from it and actually gets it's benefits to market with no issue. It's worth it.

[derf]

Does it also provide some of the medical benefits of munchies? Especially ti chemor patients that cant keep food down?

Overall its a step in the right direction but its not perfect, I'm afraid there are still too many people who are scared of the evil weed to let it get out there.

Recreational weed is also something that should be legalized, but thats a different disscussion

[Trip]

Originally Posted by derf

Does it also provide some of the medical benefits of munchies? Especially ti chemor patients that cant keep food down?

Don't know, doesn't look like they studied if the rats had a craving for Doritos or not. lol

[derf]

Originally Posted by Trip

Don't know, doesn't look like they studied if the rats had a craving for Doritos or not. lol

Then wtf good is med weed if it doesnt have the nasty side effects of laziness, munchies, short term memory loss, impared coordination, giggles, closed eye-edness, and an unquestionable navigation ability towards the local 7-11.

Really who cares, its never gonna be as good as the real thing because for 50% of the customers out there they get headaches so they can get a perscription to the med weed, the other 50% would tell you how much pain they are in, but are too busy suffering from real pain.

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by Trip

However, if this removes the stigmata

I think the real question here is why you'd put nail holes in weed to begin with...

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Particle Man

I think the real question here is why you'd put nail holes in weed to begin with...

stigma...better? LOL oops

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by Trip

stigma...better? LOL oops

[Avatard]

Originally Posted by Particle Man

I think the real question here is why you'd put nail holes in weed to begin with...

See, I didn't wanna touch that in OT. I know you can't even mention _____.