spain Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 What Were we talking about? How cannabis turns young rats into dope-heads Richard Macey July 31, 2007 YOUNG rats high on cannabis suffer far greater memory loss, and more lasting changes in brain function than doped-up adult rodents. Research by Sydney scientists has also found the drug is a turn-off for grown-up rats. However, the wisdom of age comes too late. "Cannabis produces much greater long-term changes in adolescent than adult rat brains," said Iain McGregor, professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Sydney. His research team used sophisticated cages - more like three-room houses - for the experiments. Each room was given different wallpaper and smells so the rats could tell them apart. Adolescent and adult rats were locked in one room and injected 12 times over two weeks with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the drug's active ingredient. When the doors were opened, allowing the rats to roam from room to room, the researchers noticed something unusual. "The adults avoided the room where they had been under the influence of THC," Professor McGregor said. But the adolescents had no fear of the room. Professor McGregor said the results reflected cannabis use patterns in humans. "Studies show that most adult [humans] have given it away by the time they are 30 or 35." The rats were then left drug-free for two weeks, given blood checks to ensure they no longer had THC in their bodies, and then had their memory tested. "The 'teenagers' that had received cannabis were still memory impaired two weeks later, while the adults were fine," Professor McGregor said. "The adolescents showed poor memory for what had happened an hour ago." Finally the researchers examined the brains of the rats, looking for tell-tale protein changes in the hippocampus, the area responsible for memory. The adolescents that had been given cannabis had three times as many changed proteins in this brain region as the adults given the same dose. "It was a double whammy," Professor McGregor said. "The adolescents liked cannabis more, but it was worse for their brains and their memory." Although Professor McGregor did not want to sound as if he was preaching that cannabis was "a drug of doom", he said it was "another cautionary study about heavy use" by young people whose brains were still developing. The findings appear in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology this month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 uhhhhhh.....................what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 If it wasn't for pot, I never could have made myself stupid enough to argue with Spain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Who funds these worthless studies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aqualung Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Who funds these worthless studies? AMA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spain Posted July 31, 2007 Author Share Posted July 31, 2007 If it wasn't for pot, I never could have made myself stupid enough to argue with Spain. And to think I supported your Ginger protest at Wendys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 you should see the rats that have moved on to the harder drugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Gawd danged sumbeech hippie rats listening to that Grateful Dead crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Pass that shiatt already. Bogart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Jack Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 puff puff pass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McNasty Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 You guys are missing the main point of this experiment: Smoking Josh Gordon has a strong correlation to youth. It would be irresponsible to come out and say that smoking actually causes you to become younger. But, being a man of science, I'll just point at the study, and let those of you with superior reasoning abilities figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 You guys are missing the main point of this experiment: Smoking Josh Gordon has a strong correlation to youth. It would be irresponsible to come out and say that smoking actually causes you to become younger. But, being a man of science, I'll just point at the study, and let those of you with superior reasoning abilities figure it out. Brilliant!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.