Cannabis Study House - NORML Weekly News in Audio 2006.1.19

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Weekly News in Audio

January 19, 2006

Britain: No Reversal On Cannabis Classification

Heavy Alcohol Use Associated With Greater Risk Of Cannabis Dependence, Study Says

Endocannabinoid Production Elevates Mood, Study Says

London, United Kingdom:
Britain: No Reversal On Cannabis Classification

British officials have rejected an appeal to reclassify cannabis as a Class B prohibited substance. Their rejection is in accordance with the recommendations of the British Advisory Council on the Misuses of Drugs (ACMD) which determined that marijuana's relative health risks do not warrant increasing penalties for those who use it.

"The harmfulness of cannabis to the individual remains substantially less than the harmfulness caused by substances currently controlled under the [law] as Class B," such as amphetamines, the ACMD concluded. The agency further added that cannabis presented only a "very small risk" to users' mental health, including the onset of schizophrenia.

Britain amended its drug laws in 2004 to downgrade cannabis from a Class B drug to a Class C "soft" drug. Under the reclassification scheme, individuals found possessing minor amounts of cannabis are typically cautioned by police, but no longer arrested.

To date, there has been no documented increase in cannabis use following the downgrade.

Preliminary data released by the Home Office last year indicated that law enforcement saved an estimated 200,000 hours of police time as a result of the reclassification.

Albany, NY:
Heavy Alcohol Use Associated With Greater Risk Of Cannabis Dependence, Study Says

Heavy use of alcohol in conjunction with marijuana use may increase the likelihood of an individual developing symptoms of cannabis dependence, according to survey data to be published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Use of alcohol and cannabis together is more often associated with greater problems for the user than the use of cannabis alone, researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Albany concluded.

"Comorbid frequent or heavy alcohol consumption may place cannabis users at greater risk for symptoms of cannabis dependence," authors wrote. "Recommendations for cannabis drug safety should now include limiting the consumption of alcohol in an effort to avoid cannabis dependence symptoms."

According to the US National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, less than ten percent of cannabis users ever exhibit signs of dependence (as defined by the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV criteria). By comparison, 15 percent of alcohol drinkers, 17 percent of cocaine users, and 32 percent of cigarette smokers exhibit symptoms of drug dependence.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada:
Endocannabinoid Production Elevates Mood, Study Says

Raising the level of endocannabinoids released by the brain elevates mood, according to preclinical trial data published last month in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. Endocannabinoids are marijuana-like chemicals produced naturally in humans and animals that bind to the same receptors as do plant-derived cannabinoids such as THC.

Researchers at the McGill University Health Center in Montreal found that the administration of the synthetic agent URB579 exerted "potent anti-depressant-like effects" in animals by blocking the degradation of endocannabinoids.

"This is the first time it has been shown that a drug that increases cannabinoids in the brain can improve your mood," lead investigator Gabriella Gobbi stated.

Research published last year in the Journal of Psychopharmacology suggested that cannabis and cannabinoids exert anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, and recommended clinical trials investigating their use in the treatment of bipolar effective disorder.

Survey data published last summer in the journal Addictive Behaviors found that adults who use cannabis report suffering from less severe incidents and/or symptoms of depression than non-users.

Previous research on endocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid receptor system indicates that cannabinoids may play a role in maintaining homeostasis (metabolic equilibrium) in humans and other living organisms. Biological functions regulated by endocannabinoids include appetite, body temperature, blood pressure, bone density, reproductive activity, learning capacity, and motor coordination.