Study: marijuana's medicinal powers may be harnessed

Scientists may have found a way to harness marijuana's medicinal powers without unleashing the plant's memory-robbing properties, according to media reports Tuesday.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, can relieve both pain and anxiety but, unfortunately, also results in cognitive problems such as memory loss.

In fact, one recent study found that multiple sclerosis patients who smoke marijuana in search of symptom relief are more likely to suffer cognitive shortfalls and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

John Casida and his colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., found that organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents blocked the breakdown of certain enzymes, which has the end result of stimulating the cannabinoid receptors in the brain.

In this experiment, using mice, the OP compounds had the therapeutic effects of THC (pain relief, lower body temperatures) without the cognitive drawbacks.

(Agencies)