From: Blunderov (squooker@mweb.co.za)
Date: Wed Feb 06 2002 - 22:47:40 MST
[Blunderov]
Having retrieved
"Cannabis Culture", by Patrick Matthews,
(First published in Great Britain in 1999, Paperback edition 2000,
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 38 Soho Square, London W1V 5DF
A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0 7475 48 52 8
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in Great Britain by Clays Limited, St Ives plc)
I am able to
[quote page 103, 104]
...researchers now think it likely that cannabis has two methods of action.
One resembles the effect of alcohol or general anaesthetics: a general
disruption of the nervous system caused by THC dissolving in cells walls and
'perturbing' them. The other results from the chemical similarity of THC to
the body's [I] two naturally-produced cannabinoids:[/I] [My italics.
Blunderov] anandamide and 2-AG (the difference being that the body's own
cannabinoids are constantly produced and constantly removed, near the cells
whose receptors they 'switch on'. THC is removed by the liver, more slowly
and at a more distant location).
What Tart calls the obviously 'drug' effects of cannabis could be those that
work through the body's cannabinoid receptors. The effects of cannabis are
close to the functions of the edogenous cannabinoids. Raphael Mechoulam
lists some of the known effects of anandamide: "It's been found to be
involved in sleep, it's been found to be involved in short term memory; it's
definitely to do with pain." The cannabinoids sometimes overlap with other
control systems Mechoulam has found that 2-AG, for example, is an
alternative method to nitrous oxide of reducing blood pressure. What's more
relevant is the discovery that the cannabinoids, both the natural ones and
THC , can apparently trigger the opioid system, whose receptors are
activated by both the natural opioids (enkephalin and endorphin) and by
heroin and morphine. Roger Pertwee adds that anandamine helps stimulate the
appetite, especially for sugary foods; to me his most interesting suggestion
is that anandamide, by limiting short term memory, performs an essential
role in preventing the brain getting clogged up with trivialities.
[/quote]
Regards
Blunderov.
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