Cannabis Study House - NORML Weekly News in Audio 2006.3.2

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Weekly News in Audio

March 2, 2006

Cannabis Use Not Linked To So-Called "Amotivational Syndrome"

Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Staves Blindness Associated With Diabetes, Study Says

Texas, Florida Pass Campus Wide "Marijuana Equalization" Initiatives

Los Angeles, CA:
Cannabis Use Not Linked To So-Called "Amotivational Syndrome"

Cannabis use, including daily use of the drug, does not impair motivation, according to survey data published in the current issue of the journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.

Four hundred and eighty seven volunteers (243 daily users and 244 non-users) completed items from the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES). Participants responded to 12 statements regarding their own feelings of motivation on a four-point scale (e.g. Not at all; Slightly; Somewhat; Very much). Researchers have successfully used similar measures of apathy in previous studies of substance abuse and motivation.

"Participants who used cannabis seven days a week demonstrated no difference from non-cannabis users on indices of motivation," investigators found.

After quantifying subjects' responses through advanced statistical procedures designed to identify even slight differences between users and non-users, researchers still did not detect any decreases in motivation among daily users of cannabis.

"These findings refute hypothesized associations between heavy cannabis use and low motivation," authors concluded. "Thus, emphasizing a cannabis-induced amotivational syndrome in drug prevention does not have empirical support and could harm the credibility of ... [drug] prevention efforts."

Augusta, GA:
Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Staves Blindness Associated With Diabetes, Study Says

Administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) prevents retinal cell death in the diabetic retina, and may one day prevent blindness in diabetic patients, according to preclinical data published in the current issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, investigated the protective effects of CBD in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after one, two, or four weeks.

"Experimental diabetes induced significant increases in oxidative stress, retinal neuronal cell death, and vascular permeability," investigators wrote. "CBD treatment significantly reduced oxidative stress, decreased ... vascular endothelial growth, ... and prevented retinal cell death. ... These results demonstrate that CBD treatment reduced neurotoxicity, inflammation, and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown in diabetic animals."

Diabetic retinopathy, which is characterized by retinal oxygen deprivation and a breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier, affects approximately 16 million Americans and is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.

Previous studies have shown CBD to prevent against neurotoxicity associated with stroke, cerebral infarction (localized cell death in the brain), and ethanol-induced brain damage. Clinical trials have also shown CBD to possess anti-tumoral properties - inhibiting the growth of glioma (brain tumor) cells in a dose dependent manner and selectively inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in malignant cells.

Washington, DC:
Texas, Florida Pass Campus Wide "Marijuana Equalization" Initiatives

Students at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin and Florida State University (FSU) recently approved a pair of non-binding campus initiatives calling on campus officials to decrease university-imposed marijuana penalties.

More than 64 percent of UT students approved the "Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Referendum," which calls on University officials to reduce penalties for minor marijuana offenses so that they are no greater than university-imposed penalties for alcohol possession. FSU students passed a similar measure last week by a vote of 60 to 40 percent.

"Students clearly recognize the truth: Alcohol is simply more harmful both to the user and society than marijuana," said Texas NORML President Judie Niskala.

Both campaigns were coordinated by regional NORML chapters, Texas NORML and FSU NORML, in conjunction with the Colorado-based SAFER (Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation).

Yesterday SAFER, which successfully passed a citywide initiative eliminating municipal marijuana penalties in Denver this past fall, began gathering signatures to place a similar proposal on the November 2006 Colorado ballot.