marijuana news from FierceBioResearcher

Marijuana-like chemicals in the brain may point to a treatment for Parkinson's disease. In a study to be published in the February 8 issue of Nature, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine report that endocannabinoids, naturally occurring chemicals found in the brain that are similar to the active compounds in marijuana and hashish, helped trigger a dramatic improvement in mice with a condition similar to Parkinson's.

"The dopamine drug alone did a …

New research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests that commonly used therapies for high blood pressure may help prevent the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's. Working with animals engineered to produce beta-amyloid, a plaque in the brain that builds up as Alzheimer's develops, researchers injected a series of drugs to see what kind of effect could be achieved. Seven of the drugs that demonstrated an ability to prevent the build-up of beta-amyloid were for high blood …

The active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, may help prevent the formation of deposits in the brain which are linked to Alzheimer's. Scientists at Scripps Research Institute concluded that THC does a better job than commercial drugs at preventing the enzyme acetylcholinesterase from forming plaques that occur with Alzheimer's. While controversial, marijuana has a number of medical uses, including relieving glaucoma and pain along with the side effects of …