Cannabinoid News and Research

Latest Cannabinoid News and Research

Naturally produced 'cannabis' in the brain helps with pain relief

Researchers in the United States have found that a cannabis like chemical produced naturally in the brain helps with pain relief.

23 Jun 2005

Chemicals in Cannabis may help mentally ill

Smoking cannabis which has previously been shown to damage mental health, now according to a new study may be useful in relieving the symptoms of severe mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder.

6 Jun 2005

Medical Research Council funds research to look at cannabis based medicines in multiple sclerosis treatment

A trial to determine whether cannabis-based medicines can reduce disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

24 May 2005

Bone loss reduced by blocking body's cannabis-like substances

British scientists have discovered that blocking the action of cannabis-like substances produced naturally by the body can reduce bone loss and they hope this finding will lead to new drugs to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

23 May 2005

Fat-fighting drugs may be a far riskier business than they seem

Experts are warning that despite the fact that obesity is one of the biggest preventable causes of death, fat-fighting drugs may be a far riskier business than they seem, particularly for investors.

11 May 2005

Research shows preventive effects of cannabinoids on Alzheimer's disease

New research shows that a synthetic analogue of the active component of marijuana may reduce the inflammation and prevent the mental decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.

22 Feb 2005

Rimonabant could be safer for treating obesity than previous weight-loss drugs

ECRI, a nonprofit health services research agency, recently published a Health Technology Forecast profile on a novel pharmaceutical agent that is in development for the treatment of obesity.

30 Nov 2004

Body's 'internal marijuana': A new target for treatment of schizophrenia, Parkinson's?

“Endocannabinoids” is an impressive word that sounds like the name for a group of tribal warriors or an ancient people. Actually, it is the scientific term for beneficial molecules produced in the brain that act as “a sort of internal marijuana in our system

4 Nov 2004

Marijuana-like compounds may aid Parkinson's disease, pain and obesity

No longer a pipe dream, new animal research now indicates that marijuana-like compounds can aid a bevy of debilitating conditions, ranging from brain disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease, to pain and obesity.

28 Oct 2004

Researchers have identified the mechanism by which marijuana may affect learning and memory

Marijuana use has long been known to cause problems with learning and memory. Now, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified the mechanism by which marijuana may affect activity in the hippocampus

29 Sep 2004

Marijuana use may increase the risk of ectopic (tubal) pregnancies

It is not known whether drugs that block or, in the case of marijuana, over-stimulate the CB1 receptor can cause ectopic pregnancy in humans. However, "our results raise caution for women of reproductive ages regarding the chronic use of marijuana for recreation or pain alleviation," the researchers concluded.

27 Sep 2004

THC in marijuana may block the spread of forms of cancer causing herpes viruses

The compound in marijuana that produces a high, delta-9 tetrahydrocannbinol or THC, may block the spread of several forms of cancer causing herpes viruses, University of South Florida College of Medicine scientists report.

22 Sep 2004

Researchers get a grip on marijuana

Now researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine are a step closer to understanding how the drug's active ingredients - tetrahydrocannabinol and related compounds, called cannabinoids - may exert their effects.

16 Sep 2004

New study confirms benefits of rimonabant in weight loss

Phase III clinical study comparing placebo to rimonabant, the first agent in a new therapeutic class known as selective cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) blockers, showed that overweight or obese people taking rimonabant 20mg once daily benefited from a significant reduction in their body weight

29 Aug 2004

Link between marijuana and mental health

An eminent University of Melbourne Psychiatry Professor will lead a conference detailing the latest research findings on the link between marijuana and mental health.

16 Aug 2004

Novel pharmacological target for cannabinoid-based therapies

Cannabinoids, the active ingredients in marijuana, restrict the sprouting of blood vessels to brain tumors by inhibiting the expression of genes needed for the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

15 Aug 2004

Cannabis extract helps reduce pain in multiple sclerosis patients

Does the cannabinoid dronabinol reduce central pain in multiple sclerosis? Randomised double blind placebo controlled crossover trial, BMJ Online First.

17 Jul 2004

Marijuana/Cannabis causes transient schizophrenia-like symptoms

The principal active ingredient in marijuana causes transient schizophrenia-like symptoms ranging from suspiciousness and delusions to impairments in memory and attention, according to a Yale research study.

15 Jun 2004

Cannabis extract drug may help patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The multi centre double blind, randomised, parallel group study in 58 patients assessed the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Sativex®, a whole plant medicinal cannabis extract, compared with placebo for the treatment of pain caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis. Study medication was administered by means of a spray into the mouth as an evening dose only and measures were assessed the following day.

11 Jun 2004

A new synthetic chemical may provide framework for future drugs to treat brain-based ailments

A new synthetic chemical may provide the framework for future drugs that can treat a variety of brain-based ailments, ranging from overeating and drug dependency to neuropathic pain.

19 May 2004