Chronic Cannabis Use May Cause Brain Inflammation

[Hum]

 Chronic marijuana use may cause inflammation in the brain that leads to problems with coordination and learning, a new study in animals suggests.

The study also teased out why this brain inflammation leads to motor and learning problems, and found a surprising answer ? cannabis activates immune cells that appear to play a critical role in how a brain region called the cerebellum works.

In the study, mice were given delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, for six days. Then the mice were required to perform several tasks to test their coordination, as well as their ability to learn to associate a sound with a puff of air to the eye. During the latter task, called eyeblink conditioning, mice should learn to anticipate the air puff, and blink when they hear the sound.

Mice given THC showed impairments in both tasks. (A previous study in people also found that cannabis users had trouble in an eyeblink conditioning task.)

The researchers also found that THC activated microglial cells, which are immune cells in the cerebellum. These microglial cells then induced inflammation in the cerebellum, which resulted in the learning and coordination problems.

These problems went away when the researchers used a drug to prevent activation of microglial cells. This result could offer "interesting new therapeutic approaches for treating these cannabis-induced side effects, the researchers write in the July 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

 

 Study researcher Andr?s Ozaita, of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, noted that these side effects typically go away when the mice are no longer exposed to THC.

Chronic use of marijuana is known to lower the number of cannabinoid receptors (receptors that bind to THC) in the brain. The reduced number of receptors is what appears to eventually lead to the activating of the microglial cells, Ozaita said.

More research is needed to determine what kinds of problems these "cerebellar deficits" cause people to have in everyday life, Ozaita said. It's possible that microglial cell activation in the cerebellum causes hard-to-detect problems ? such as a slightly delayed reaction time while driving ? that researchers wouldn't know about unless they tested for them, he said.

In addition to brain inflammation, smoking cannabis has also been linked to lower IQ and an increased risk of schizophrenia.

source

[Growled Member]

More research is needed to determine what kinds of problems these "cerebellar deficits" cause people to have in everyday life, Ozaita said.

 

Do tell.

[chrisj1968]

I have a difficult time believing anyone who takes it for chronic pain would care. But Big pharma would do anything to get you to NOT take cannabis and take a pharmaceutical. This is big Pharma's cash cow

[Growled Member]

I have a difficult time believing anyone who takes it for chronic pain would care. But Big pharma would do anything to get you to NOT take cannabis and take a pharmaceutical. This is big Pharma's cash cow

You are so right. A lot of money is involved. A lot. They'll do anything to keep it flowing.

[vcfan]

 a new study in animals suggests.

 

ill stop them right there

[Hum]

linked to lower IQ ...

 

 

The pot smokers I've seen, don't tend to be the brightest people. ;)

[Tigurinn]

 

....definite brain inflammation :D

[compl3x]

ill stop them right there

 

Why? Animal testing is common and a lot of useful information is gained from it. One of them "I don't understand it, therefore I dismiss it" types, are you?

 

------------

 

It's really no surprise long term cannabis abuse would lead to health problems. People who talk about cannabis being this completely safe drug are just as clueless as people who make out it is some "evil weed" which if legalised would destroy society.

[mudslag]

linked to lower IQ ...

 

 

The pot smokers I've seen, don't tend to be the brightest people. ;)

 

 

 

You should try getting out more often. Steve Jobs, Carl Sagan, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Branson, ect. all bright pot smoking people. 

 

 

It's really no surprise long term cannabis abuse would lead to health problems. People who talk about cannabis being this completely safe drug are just as clueless as people who make out it is some "evil weed" which if legalised would destroy society.

 

 

 

Like everything else in life, moderation is key.

[FloatingFatMan]

"May cause" huh?  So, they're just guessing then? Riiiiiiight. :rolleyes:

 

Maybe I should loan them my brother... Then they'd KNOW what cannabis abuse does to you. :p

[slumdogtrillionaire]

 Chronic marijuana use may cause inflammation

In the study, mice were given delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, for six days.

source

 

FAIL

 

marijuana is not THC alone. THC alone might do that not marijuana with hundreds of different natural substances in it some of which are probably undiscovered.

[vcfan]

Why? Animal testing is common and a lot of useful information is gained from it. One of them "I don't understand it, therefore I dismiss it" types, are you?

 

animal testing means absolutely nothing. animals don't have the same immune systems, the same metabolisms as we do. how many times have scientists found cures for cancers that worked on rats, but didn't do a damn thing on humans?

 

its nice that they can get some insight by testing on animals, but its irresponsible to release this kind of information to the public. this is how so much misinformation gets spread around.its a shady tactic by scientists to get funding from opposition groups.

[JonnyLH]

So if I'm baked I can't co-ordinate my blinks properly? Sounds about right.

[TPreston]

Note to self : Apparently Its ok to ignore or dismiss peer reviewed evidence when it pertains to cannabis, climate change, vaccines and genetically modified food.

 

 

@PseudoSkeptics in this thread you are no different to creationists ragging on evolution;

[ahhell]

Over-consumption of anything is bad for you.

 

Even water can kill you if drink too much.  :rolleyes:

[Praetor]

the truth is: i had several friends that smoked pot (not occasionally, but regularly) and the mental capacities, cognitive was getting more affected, in sum they were getting dumber, with doubtful behavior.

[Linkinfamous]

Various cannabinoids are known anti-inflammatories. This study only shows that part of pot, THC, isolated from the whole, has this effect.

[Buttus]

I don't know about animal studies either...  look at what it did to saccharin...

[SierraSonic]

Still better than anything else that could be considered a drug. Again people the key to life is moderation. 

[Mando]

linked to lower IQ ...

 

 

The pot smokers I've seen, don't tend to be the brightest people. ;)

 

not all of us have a lower IQ, im a senior Sys admin for a multinational Pharma company, and long term pot enjoyer ;) (23yrs and counting) its all about respecting your intake and not spending 24/7 stoned. Everything in moderation.

 

Id rather spark up than drink beer.

 

Id never turn up for work stoned, just as much as walking in the door plastered from Jack :)

 

Chronic use of alcohol leads to a lot more terminal conditions than ingesting Mary J, infact my previous occupation was in healthcare and the pot heads out numbered the beerheads :)

[Hum]

^

The pot smokers I've seen

 

 

 

Key words ;) And, good for you.

[mudslag]

^

 

 

Key words ;) And, good for you.

 

 

 

Odds are you have seen more pot heads then you could ever realize. 

[compl3x]

animal testing means absolutely nothing. animals don't have the same immune systems, the same metabolisms as we do. how many times have scientists found cures for cancers that worked on rats, but didn't do a damn thing on humans?

 

its nice that they can get some insight by testing on animals, but its irresponsible to release this kind of information to the public. this is how so much misinformation gets spread around.its a shady tactic by scientists to get funding from opposition groups.

 

 

Oh dear. Entire first sentence completely false. Entire second sentence conspiratorial and false.

 

Go and google "Why scientists use rats/mice in testing" and educate yourself. I'm sure as hell not going to write out an essay trying explain to you why they do. There is no excuse to be ignorant in a time where the sum of human knowledge is a few keystrokes away.

[vcfan]

Oh dear. Entire first sentence completely false. Entire second sentence conspiratorial and false.

 

Go and google "Why scientists use rats/mice in testing" and educate yourself. I'm sure as hell not going to write out an essay trying explain to you why they do. There is no excuse to be ignorant in a time where the sum of human knowledge is a few keystrokes away.

 

that's rich coming from you to tell me to educate myself. nothing I said is false. if you believe mice and humans match 100% gene expression patterns then you are out to lunch. id like for you to give some evidence,and I will prove you wrong. animal testing will not give you definite proof of anything,therefore totally irresponsible to cause panic and fear,until tested on humans. drugs were found to cure cancers on rats,and they don't do a damn thing on humans. viruses given to rats and humans have completely different effects.  burns,inflammation,etc... totally different.

 

and the second part of what I wrote is not false,or a conspiracy. theres proof of this. if you read as many studies as I have, you will find some shady studies funded by a certain party to give whatever theyre supporting legitimacy, or to bash opposition groups,and many other independent studies' data completely disagrees with these  . some scientists will take any form of funding even if it means selling their integrity. we're not living in fantasy land here, where everything is sunshine and roses, it is happening. just use some logic man and go look at conflicting studies and who is funding them. just look at the pepsi and corn guys funding studies about sugars and corn syrups,while a different industry is funding studies that disagree with them. milk? artificial sweetners? its all there in the open.

[compl3x]

that's rich coming from you to tell me to educate myself. nothing I said is false. if you believe mice and humans match 100% gene expression patterns then you are out to lunch. id like for you to give some evidence,and I will prove you wrong. animal testing will not give you definite proof of anything,therefore totally irresponsible to cause panic and fear,until tested on humans. drugs were found to cure cancers on rats,and they don't do a damn thing on humans. viruses given to rats and humans have completely different effects.  burns,inflammation,etc... totally different.

 

 

 I never said 100% match. that's a straw man. If you want to see why mice and rats are used you can go and study it for yourself. I sure as hell don't get paid to educate you and I am not going to sit here and write up why mice and rats are used and why they are appropriate when you will probably not even bother to read it anyway. Go use google.

 

So you can prove that the entire scientific community which as been using mice and rats for decades have been wrong this whole time? What field do you work in again? Why do I get the sneaking suspicion would I be willing to be money on the fact it isn't a scientific one?

 

 

 

and the second part of what I wrote is not false,or a conspiracy. theres proof of this. if you read as many studies as I have, you will find some shady studies funded by a certain party to give whatever theyre supporting legitimacy, or to bash opposition groups,and many other independent studies' data completely disagrees with these  . some scientists will take any form of funding even if it means selling their integrity. we're not living in fantasy land here, where everything is sunshine and roses, it is happening. just use some logic man and go look at conflicting studies and who is funding them. just look at the pepsi and corn guys funding studies about sugars and corn syrups,while a different industry is funding studies that disagree with them. milk? artificial sweetners? its all there in the open.

 

vcfan demands others offer proof of their claims, makes claim of proof, doesn't offer it. :s

 

I don't disagree. The tobacco industry used to hire scientists to dispute claims about cancer. The climate change denialists hire scientists of obfuscate the reality of man-made climate change. But all of this has nothing to do with the fact you can't prove this study or this group has any ulterior motive nor does it have anything to do with your assertion that the testing method is flawed because it uses mice.

 

Try to stay on the point you're defending.