
Study: Oxytocin mediates social reward by harnessing endocannabinoids in mice - Amorymeltzer
http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/11/oxytocin-makes-socializing-feel-fun-just-like-marijuana/
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blt
Marijuana definitely doesn't make socializing fun for all people...

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smt88
I actually have never heard of it making socializing fun for anyone. My
anecdata tells me that the opposite is true...

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DanBC
cannabis has different strains, that contain different balances of active
ingredients. It's thought that high THC strains are not going to be good for
social activity, while high CBD content is probably going to be better.

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smt88
Interesting! Some cursory research shows that CBD isn't psychoactive, and it
actually counteracts some effects of THC.

It does probably decrease anxiety, though, which could make socializing easier
and more enjoyable. I'd say that makes it a "social drug" in the same way that
an SSRI can be a social drug for some people.

Sources:

[http://www.wired.com/2015/07/medical-marijuana-
epilepsy/](http://www.wired.com/2015/07/medical-marijuana-epilepsy/)

[http://www.truthonpot.com/2014/09/24/5-differences-
between-c...](http://www.truthonpot.com/2014/09/24/5-differences-between-cbd-
vs-thc/)

[http://www.canorml.org/cbd.html](http://www.canorml.org/cbd.html)

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gjm11
Surely if it decreases anxiety then it is psychoactive?

(Or am I misunderstanding what "it" refers to in your second paragraph?)

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nerfhammer
the blog post they refer to says "psychoactive" which cites in turn a much
more authoritative source that says "psychotropic"

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JamesBarney
There also some interesting evidence that oxytocin helps with autism as well.

The effect of oxytocin nasal spray on social interaction deficits observed in
young children with autism: a randomized clinical crossover trial.
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26503762](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26503762)

~~~
fecak
Thanks for linking a recent study. We tried this with our daughter about 7
years ago, and will likely try it again. Readers should keep in mind that
"helps with autism" is only referring to the potential to help with the social
interaction aspect of some with autism (as opposed to the many other
attributes those with severe autism may exhibit).

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hoopism
Read this and some other recent studies... do you have reliable distributor
you used? What about dosing?

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fecak
It was a long time ago. It was definitely a nasal spray administered maybe
twice a day, but couldn't remember the distributor. I expect it came through a
compounding pharmacy.

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DyslexicAtheist
>> Marijuana enhances social interactions (or so I've heard).

I guess so ... At least if your definition of " _socially interactive_ " is
getting hungry then horny then hungry again (throw in the odd uncontrolled
giggling).

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josefresco
I wish the media, would stop using the term _marijuana_ when referring to
cannabis.

~~~
_-__---
What is the difference between the two terms? I would venture that most people
don't know. I know that I don't know.

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vezzy-fnord
"Marijuana" is an etymologically dubious term popularized by Harry J.
Anslinger and other prohibitionists circa the 1930s as an exotic name so as to
exploit racial tension in order to sway public opinion towards the
criminalization of cannabis.

~~~
josefresco
What he said - a quick Google search will bring up several articles on the
subject. Granted, the term has been somewhat "normalized" for some time - many
still feel as though it negatively effects public perception (see the "death
tax" and other terminology used in politics).

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IgorPartola
Offtopic: this is a strange and somewhat destructive pattern I noticed on HN.
In an attempt to keep submission titles == article titles I often see the
title changed. However, the original title for this post used very different
language, which is the reason I think it got upvoted in the first place.
Basically, we see a lot of "Man finds kitten; you won't believe what happens
next" get upvoted to the front page, then changed to the more proper and
sometimes poorer title of "Human-feline genetic link as anthropological proof
of cognitive evolution in higher primates".

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sandworm101
[Total idiot post here. As pointed out below, Oxytocin /= Oxycontin. Kept for
lols.]

Opiods for social disorders? While an interesting effect, the inherent dangers
of such a substance should moot any thought of practicality, like discovering
that plutonium can be used to cure hangovers.

The drive to expand the market for opiod market in recent decades should give
everyone pause. Addictive medicines once used to treat pain in hospitals (ie
post-surgery) are now sold to old people for arthritis pain, for cronic
conditions. I'm sure that lots of companies would jump on even the slightest
evidence that opiods might also be used for mental disorders, disorders
present in nearly every area of the population. With the current market
flooded, with old people already swimming in painkillers, that is the only
room for exponential growth. And it is exactly why we should not allow market
forces to dictate treatments.

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veddan
Oxytocin is not an opioid. You are thinking of Oxycontin.

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sandworm101
Lol, My bad. Probably should have waited until after the morning caffeine
injection.

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andyl
Opium - really takes the edge off.

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kylek
Oxytocin is NOT Oxycontin (oxycodone), by the way.

