Newswise — As the Supreme Court debates the medical use of marijuana, scientists continue to hone in on the pharmaceutical properties of the drug. By understanding how marijuana produces its effects, both therapeutic and harmful, they hope to someday develop a drug that will provide the benefit without the harm.
While marijuana has been reported effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, nausea caused by chemotherapy and wasting caused by AIDS, it also, like all drugs, causes numerous unwanted side effects, including hypothermia, sedation, memory impairment, motor impairment, and anxiety.
"A greater knowledge of the cellular receptors that are triggered by marijuana could lead to the development of new varieties of drugs that, for example, have increased analgesic capabilities to treat pain, but decreased euphoric (pleasure giving) effects," said Martin Adler, Ph.D., Director of Center for Substance Abuse Research and professor of pharmacology at Temple University School of Medicine.
According to Adler, Marijuana operates via two receptors in the body. One is located in the brain and produces the psychoactive effects, including euphoria and dizziness. The other is found primarily outside the brain and throughout the body and impacts the immune system. When marijuana binds to its receptors, it sets off chemical processes that lead to an effect, such as pain relief or suppression of the immune system.
Several Temple researchers, including Dr. Adler are investigating how cannabinoids, substances derived from marijuana, produce pharmacological effects in animal models.
RSS