Marijuana contains a complex mix of chemicals, some with medicinal effects, others with an effect that, well, have led it to be classified as a controlled substance. The cannabinoid THC, the primary active ingredient, seems to do both. It's responsible for many of the psychoactive qualities of marijuana, but is also a potent analgesic, blocking a variety of pain. A study that was released over the weekend, however, indicates that some of its painkilling effects are mediated via a receptor that wasn't previously known to interact with the cannabinoids. In the process of characterizing this new receptor, the authors find a chemical that blocks pain, but has no apparent psychoactive effects.
The study was prompted by a rather odd finding. THC, as a prototypical cannabinoid, binds the (wait for it...) cannabinoid receptor in order to trigger most of its effects. But it's possible to breed mice that lack genes for one of the cannabinoid receptors, and these mice still respond to THC doses with a reduction in pain, at least based on one assay. (The "tail flick response" test, in which the tails of the mice are hit with some focused heat, and the time it takes them to respond by moving their tails.)
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Nikki Reed Natasha Bedingfield Audrina Patridge Simone Mütherthies Carrie Underwood
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