Marijuana Proliferates Brain Cells and Boosts Mood

[doni54]

Hi All.....I found this article while researching something to get my brain working better.  Just found this by accident and know many on here have asked about the use of marijuana for pain.  I have always thought that mj diminished brain cells, but this study seems to disspell this belief

The article I have copied and pasted here, is on the web site below, you can then click on the blue (READ REPORT) to find the full study on this.  I haven't read it all yet, but it is interesting.  (I have added spaces, just in case the forum were to delete the web address)  

Quix, could you weigh in on this, if you are feeling up to it.  I know we have to be careful about some of the things we read on the net, and I totally trust your judgement, so what do you think?

Hope you all are having a great day.

Hugs
doni



http:  //   renegadeneurologist.  com/  category/  brain-health/  page/12/

Marijuana Proliferates Brain Cells and Boosts Mood
Thursday, February 8th, 2007

Back when I was in medical school (the late 1970s) the standard teaching was that we were born with a fixed number of brain cells and that the number of brain cells would then decline as we lived our lives. Over the past several years however, exciting research from several institutions including Yale have discovered that in fact the human brain retains the ability to grow new neurons (neurogenesis) throughout our entire lifetimes.

Factors known to enhance the neurogenesis, specifically in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in memory function, include the important brain fat DHA, caloric restriction, and mental as well as physical exercise. New research adds marijuana to the list of factors that can actually lead to the growth of new brain cells.

In a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dr. Xia Zhang and colleagues from the University of Saskatchewan demonstrated that a potent and synthetic cannabinoid not only promotes neurogenesis, but also showed anti-anxiety and antidepressant-like effects. Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects (Read Report ).

The researchers suggest that there is a positive correlation between increased adult neurogenesis and changes in behavior following chronic cannabinoid treatment. These results provide additional information about the effects of cannabinoids in the brain, and how these chemicals affect brain processing.

[doni54]

Thanks, Jo..............I knew many on here had questions about the MJ and one of the questions was about brain cells so that's why I posted this.

When it comes to some of this horrible pain we all go through, anything is worth a try, huh?  I don't think, here lately, that I have that many working brain cells anyway...hee..hee...hee

Hugs
doni

[Lulu54]

Jo,
I want to be invited to your next slumber party. I'll bring the snacks!  lulu

[cjacks]

  So  OK ..  Let me get this straight..

                         Benefits of Medicinal Marijuana

         1.  It leads to the growth of new brain cells    (this alone peaks my interest)
         2. It can help with anxiety      (I could stand to be more relaxed)
         3. It can help with depression    (I'd like to smile more)
         4. MJ inhibits cancer growth   (this needs no comment)
         5. Relieves pain                     (    ditto    )
         6. Its very useful as an anti nausea remedy         (for all the chemo folks)
         7. etc   etc    etc


                          Drawbacks of Medicinal Marijuana

         1. Its Illegal
         2. It can bring on the Munchies

Ssshhhh.. i wonder where i put my bong ?

Anonymous

PS  Thanks Doni for the article , after all the feds have gone to bed , I'll check out the rest .

[OperaMBA]

I cannot say whether the guys on my hall at college that were pot heads were growing any more brain cells, or not.

But, what I do know is that they didn't exactly set the world on fire before or after leaving college.

[Lulu54]

I just want to be sure that I didn't give the wrong impression while I was being "smart" - I truly appreciate the work in the lab of scientists working to understand the process of THC in our bodies.  I know far too many success stories to doubt the value of further research.  - Lulu

[jensequitur]

I've heard this from different sources.  As far as I know, these are legitimate medical researchers, so their findings are valid.  

They based early predictions of marijuana's effects from the chemical composition of THC and tar, rather than through test subjects and research.  As a result, we have several studies from the 80's and 90's that seem to indicate that marijuana is detrimental to your health.

However, what they're finding now is that marijuana actually has a lot of benefits.  Not only does it promote the growth of brain cells, but it also inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

[Lulu54]

"anti-anxiety and antidepressant-like effects"

How much did they get paid for those results?  I could have told them about those side effects from my 20's.... :-)

I don't know about the neurogenesis, but I do strongly believe in the power of medicinal marijuana.  Its crazy what we make illegal in this country.

Lulu

[OperaMBA]

What was this guy smoking when he wrote this, would be my only question???  :-)