How marijuana makes you vague

":-[ Day Walker ]-:" iamtherealbl...@hotmail.com

News in Science 30/3/2001 How marijuana makes you vague [This is the print version of story http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s268491.htm] New research adds weight to the idea that marijuana disrupts memory and other thought processes.
A team of US researchers reporting in this week's Nature have pinpointed a mechanism by which marijuana could affect memory. It involves the discovery that cannabinoids - the body's own marijuana-like chemicals -
play a role in the brain pathways essential for co-ordination of thoughts and actions, memory and learning.
They argue that marijuana itself could disrupt such pathways which would explain the suspected deleterious effects of the drug on brain processes.
"This is a very useful study because it brings us one step closer to understanding the effects of marijuana on the brain, and emphasises [that] we need to take its possible harmful effects seriously," said Dr Jon Currie, Director of Westmead Hospital's Drug & Alcohol unit.
Neurophysiologist, Sheree Cairney of Victoria's Mental Health Research Institute said that it had been known for some time that cannabinoids existed throughout the brain, with receptors being in the highest concentration in the hippocampus region.
"It has also been known that the active ingredient of marijuana, THC, interacts with these receptors and disrupts the endogenous cannabinoid system in the brain - but we didn't know in what way," she said.
"This study has pinpointed that cannabinoids play a role in the hippocampus pathway that involves the GABA and glutamate neturotransmitters.
This pathway is essential to the co-ordination of thoughts and actions, memory and learning." Westmead Hospital's Dr Currie said there had been controversy over marijuana's effects on concentration and memory. This study helped to explain how this was possible.
Dr Currie said the next step would be to see if marijuana disrupted the specific pathways identified by the researchers in the Nature paper.
Anna Salleh - ABC Science Online More Info?
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"Joshua." Notha...@home.com

What do you think is being said in this article, dw?
:-[ Day Walker ]-: <iamtherealbl...@hotmail.com> wrote in message ...

"DaveHX" meand...@adognamedboo.comma

it looks to me.....that its saying cannabis is bad for your brain.
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":-[ Day Walker ]-:" iamtherealbl...@hotmail.com

"Joshua." Notha...@home.com

Yes, it does 'appear'that way, doesn't it, Dave.
I had access to a more recent report though.
27 Jun 2003 Smoking pot doesn't harm brain function - study By Deena Beasley Reuters LOS ANGELES - Smoking marijuana will certainly affect perception, but it does not cause permanent brain damage, researchers from the University of California at San Diego said on Friday in a study.
"The findings were kind of a surprise. One might have expected to see more impairment of higher mental function," said Dr. Igor Grant, a UCSD professor of psychiatry and the study's lead author. Other illegal drugs, or even alcohol, can cause brain damage.
His team analyzed data from 15 previously published, controlled studies into the impact of long-term, recreational cannabis use on the neurocognitive ability of adults.
The studies tested the mental functions of routine pot smokers, but not while they were actually high, Grant said.
The results, published in the July issue of the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, show that marijuana has only a marginally harmful long-term effect on learning and memory.
No effect at all was seen on other functions, including reaction time, attention, language, reasoning ability, and perceptual and motor skills.
Grant said the findings are particularly significant amid questions about marijuana's long-term toxicity now that several states are considering whether to make it available as a medicinal drug.
In California, growing marijuana for medical purposes is legal under a voter-approved law.
The UCSD analysis of studies involving 704 long-term cannabis users and 484 nonusers was sponsored by a state-supported program that oversees research into the use of cannabis to treat certain diseases.
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"T Parsons" travis.pars...@nf.sympatico.ca

read his Subject line..that about sums it up doesn't it?......
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"Joshua." Notha...@home.com

Um, No!
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"DaveHX" meand...@adognamedboo.comma

okay...so you have a report and he has a report. why is it that yours seems to automatically be more credible than his?
you continue to say no one who differs with you has any facts to back it up.
He provided credible evidence to the contrary.
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"T Parsons" travis.pars...@nf.sympatico.ca

Um, Yes! You asked him what he thought was being said in the article....he made the subject "How Marijuana makes you vague" Thus that would be what he thinks about the article. Remember what HE thinks, not what YOU think.
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"Joshua." Notha...@home.com

Date of the findings and the source. However, people can choose to believe what they like.
Huh? "He provided credible evidence to the contrary." Dave, maybe I'm misunderstanding you here.
Wouldn't providing 'credible evidence to the contrary', be in response to an article I've posted?

"Joshua." Notha...@home.com

T, remember when we talked about those deep breaths you should take before you hit the send button.
Try it now, before you respond to this.
"How Marijuana makes you vague" is the HEADING of the article, not what he thinks.
Damn, Pam must find it easy to argue with you.
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"DaveHX" meand...@adognamedboo.comma

I'm not dis crediting any of your postings. But...you seem (just an ***umption) to believe that your articles are more credible than his. Its like I said before...tunnell vision...you support your cause and believe than any arguements to the contrary are not factual or plausible. His article said that cannabis is bad for your brain which is in contrast to several articles youve posted.
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"DaveHX" meand...@adognamedboo.comma

i would imagine that he, who has been argiung with you on this topic, would believe the header of what he posted therefore making the message topic and his opinion one in the same.
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"T Parsons" travis.pars...@nf.sympatico.ca

haha Josh my boy...you always have to resort to the personal level. Go have a toke and lighten up.
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"bigred3" noel_gallagher_...@hotmail.com

yes josh go light one up buddy , skeet!
":-[ Day Walker ]-:" <iamtherealbl...@hotmail.com> wrote in message ...

"Evil Satan" sa...@roadYOURPANTIESrunner.nf.net

Which little piggy goes to market?
Which little piggy stays home?
Which like piggy has a grain of sense?
Cause both of these pigs, have none

"Christopher" lhill...@nf.sympatico.ca.nospam

Yet another example of non-scientists misrepresenting research. There is very little in this world that irritates me more than the spin the media and the public (i.e. NON-scientists) put on scientific research to further their own agenda. The author of this 'news' story is guilty of that with his very first sentence " New research adds weight to the idea that marijuana disrupts memory and other thought processes.", but then goes on to give an accurate summary of the research paper in question with the second sentence "A team of US researchers reporting in this week's Nature have pinpointed a mechanism by which marijuana could affect memory." Note that word *could* -
not *does*.
Now read that second sentence again - nowhere in there, nor in the paper published in the journal nature does it say that marijuana "disrupts memory and other thought processes" I should know, seeing as I have an on-line subscription to the journal "Nature" and have read the research paper in question.
What this paper has done - and *all* that it has done - is show that canabanoids (at MUCH greater concentrations than would be found in a joint) which are normally found in the brain (yes, they are) react in a specific neurochemical pathway in the brain that is involved in memory and learning.
Please read the very last sentence in the article you posted: "Dr Currie said the next step would be to see if marijuana disrupted the specific pathways identified by the researchers in the Nature paper" THIS PAPER SAYS NOTHING ABOUT MARIJUANA.
It says that one ingredient in marijuana (at a very high concentration) might disrupt memory and learning.
Caffeine has been shown to do the same things in a laboratory setting. Have you stopped drinking coffee, soda, etc?
Alcohol has been shown to do the same thing in a laboratory setting, and most people can recall one or two incidents when they can't remember the night of drinking before.
Nicotine, at high enough concentrations has been shown to have similar effects, plus a great deal of other far more harmful effects. Do you plan on getting active in the movement to make tobacco illegal?
DayWalker, I could care less about your views on the marijuana issue, but I am a scientist, and when you decide to start misrepresenting legitimate research as you've done here, I'll have no problem getting into this argument and crushing you. Stick to the lowbrow insults, because you obviously don't understand the science behind the issue enough to make a valid point.
Chris ":-[ Day Walker ]-:" <iamtherealbl...@hotmail.com> wrote in message ...

"Mike" mike.mea...@Nospamroadrunner.nf.net

Could never have said it better Christopher. Noone wants to make society toke up more, that isn't what this movement is about. Personally, I feel we at least need to first get people who use this for medicinal purposes their medicine without ridicule, financial burden and worry of prosecution.
Mike ...

"GW" ge...@nf.sympatico.ca

Thank you Christopher: I was readding this thread and nothing in it was really worth reading until I cam upon yours. I have a scientific background as well and was really becoming frustrated with the level of conversation revolving around this topic.
One person reads the term canaboid and ***umes this is directly equal to MARIJUANA.
Just, good to see that there is someone else that can see through all the smoke.
GW ...

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