Posted by linkadge on February 3, 2006, at 19:16:05
In reply to Re: just a thought, posted by vainamoinen on February 3, 2006, at 18:49:00
Self administration of marajuanna is not identical to self administration of cocaine. There are similarities in that yes it does increase dopamine in the neucleus accumbens but so what, so does coffee. That effect in itself is not enough to dismiss the drug. Keep reading.
There are clear differences. With cocaine you can die from heart failure, dehydration, anorexia, stroke etc, whereas many of these complications are nonexistant with marajuanna. A rat will substitue cocaine for food and sleep, but a rat will not substitute marajuanna (or opium for that matter) with food or sleep. In addition, marajuanna seems to confer overall neuroprotective effects. There are derivitives of cannabis in the pipelines in attempts to halt alzheimers and parkinsons progression.Many of the medicinal effets of marajuanna are probably unrealted to its effects on neucleus accumbens dopamine. It acts as a multiple serotonin agonist/antagonist, which may be responsible for anti-anxiety, and anti-nausiant effects.
In addition, marajuanna reduces the activity of the HPA axis, and reduces cortisol, something that cocaine does not do.
Finally, Marajuanna is unlike many other drugs of abuse in that it actually promotes hippocampal proliferation, an effect which is similar to virtually all other antidepressant compounds.
See:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=32033&nfid=rssfeeds
I am not a druggee by any strech of the imagination. To lump marajuanna in with other drugs is a bad idea.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:605108
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060129/msgs/606032.html