
Cannabinoids promote neuron growth and have antidepressant-like effects (2005) - rasengan
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1253627/
======
timdellinger
I'll also note that the human body produces its own molecules that bind to
cannabinoid receptors. Physical exercise is one of the triggers for the body
to do this.

It's thus not surprising that some of the benefits of exercise on the brain
are seen when cannabinoids are ingested.

See e.g.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocannabinoid_system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocannabinoid_system)

~~~
agumonkey
If someone can't do sport, get some cannabinoids to recover and then switch to
sports back. Most efficient medicine.

------
PaulHoule
Note that they didn't test any actual cannabis product, they tested one of
those synthetic cannabinoids that sometimes turn up in "Spice" and other
"legal highs" that seem to be less safe than cannabis.

Synthetic cannabinoids have so far struck out commercially as prescription
drugs (eg. Rimonabant) and they have gotten a very bad reputation among
recreational users. (Go to the gas station in a rural area and somebody will
tell you how his cousin got something strange from China and stayed up for
three days and bit his pitbull)

It would be nice to see this tested with THC, CBD and other compounds that are
actually in cannabis. Pot may or may not be good for you but it won't make you
have seizures and synthetic cannabinoids will.

~~~
ilikehurdles
Marinol is around. Maybe not a massive commercial success, but I can tell you
a lot of that is because older faculty in hospitals have biases against this
kind of thing. Younger fellows seem to be OK with prescribing it when
appropriate.

~~~
PaulHoule
Marinol is THC extract so far as I understand so it still counts as a natural
cannabis product.

~~~
messo
Sativex is an extract of cannabis flowers, Marinol is a synthetic cannabinoid.

~~~
ninnie
Marinol is a synthesized form of THC, not a novel distinct cannabinoid.

The novel cannabinoids making headlines because they’re sending people to the
emergency room, when weed is so famously safe in overdose, are dangerous (at
least partly) because they bind more strongly to the CB1 receptors than THC
does.

Not sure how people generally distinguish between between “synthetic” in these
two senses.

------
onemoresoop
I have depression and I smoke very very little. It helps a lot with my
symptoms, I feel as if a veil lifts off and i get normal vitality, excitement,
love of life. I do not smoke a lot since it would make me sick, paranoid,
anxious. I also noticed that when i first started smoking it took me a whole
month until it felt beneficial. Remember the first drink?? Probably not the
best experience

~~~
johnchristopher
Are you in the US ? I am in western continental Europe. Which kind of cannabis
do you smoke and how much ?

~~~
onemoresoop
Yes, im in the US. I have no idea about brands, every time is a different type
or hybrid. I can't tell the difference but usually i choose some hybrid of
sativa and indica. Names are funny and don't pay much attention to them: sour
diesel, purple haze, berry whatever... Due to how little i smoke I can't tell
the difference between the different brands. What i know is that it is very
potent and I stay away from smoking too much. It happened accidentally and
wasn't very pleasant. I buy $40 worth and it lasts me for 6 to 8 months. I use
a one hitter that i fill halfway and make sure not to inhale too much. I've
sort of learned my dose. Good luck.

~~~
brandall10
You should try a CBD strain such as AC/DC. With almost no THC, it may produce
the effects you desire with minimal psychoactive issues.

~~~
onemoresoop
I did and it had made me a bit sedated and very little benefit. To each their
own, i already found what works for me.

------
r_singh
I find it amusing to see that it's so common to find contrarian research
papers around marijuana / cannabis (usually because of apparently contrarian
effects on different parts of the body / brain, depending on usage), despite
there being so much curiosity around it.

When will this confusion end and when will we get definitive answers regarding
long term / short term / frequent / seldom use? So that we can get cases on
who is prone to abuse, what are the signs, etc? What frequency / reason to use
is okay?

It seems due already, considering the popularity of the substance among
populations world-wide despite the legality status.

~~~
tachyonbeam
I used to be very into supplements. I've looked at many published papers, and
my conclusion is that there is a huge issue with the quality of publications
in the health/medical field. Many of the studies around supplements are funded
by people selling the supplement, and, big surprise, they go the way the
people funding it wanted them to go. You will also find many independent
studies contradicting these findings. You're left wondering who's right, who
funded those studies, whether you can actually trust their methods.

What's worse with Cannabis is that there is a big ideological battle going on.
It's gotten political. There are people who seem to believe that Cannabis is
some wonder plant that cures cancer (I'm serious). There are lots of people
claiming it helps with anxiety. Me, I'm 100% pro-legalization, but whenever
I've tried smoking weed (of any strain), it's made me extremely anxious and
paranoid. I've even had a panic attack after smoking a joint (and I never get
panic attacks!). It seems obvious to me that Cannabis doesn't have the same
effect on everybody, and that it's not universally good. Just like everything
else in this world, things are more nuanced. I just wish people could see past
their own ideology and stop trying to push the idea that this drug is either
universally good or universally bad.

TL;DR: scientists aren't always impartial. They can be bought, or motivated by
political ideology. Both of these things get in the way of real science.

~~~
prolikewh0a
I have panic disorder and Cannabis got me entirely off of Benzodiazepines. It
may not be for everyone and certainly doesn't cure cancer, but it certainly
helps a lot of people in beneficial ways.

People usually getting panic/anxiety attacks are taking _far_ too much and I
never recommend actually smoking it for beginners, instead vaporizing it at a
lower temperature.

~~~
andai
Why do you recommend vaporizing specifically for beginners?

~~~
prolikewh0a
It's much less harsh & will prevent you from possibly coughing at all. It
usually smells like burnt popcorn instead of Cannabis, so you can relax on
that aspect as well (illegal states, smell may trigger paranoia). You can
control the certain chemicals you're getting, control the amounts more
accurately, and it just feels much more clean and relaxing all around. A lot
of being able to handle Cannabis is setting & mental state.

I had the same problem being paranoid and getting panic attacks, but that was
relieved by vaporizing. It's a more calm and chill high in my opinion.

------
simonsarris
Injections in rats, tested over periods of days? What about use in humans,
over their lives? For an obvious counter-point paper:

 _Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to
midlife_ (2012)

[http://m.pnas.org/content/pnas/109/40/E2657.full.pdf](http://m.pnas.org/content/pnas/109/40/E2657.full.pdf)

(dunno about the team, but the paper was edited by Michael Posner)

~~~
godzillabrennus
Seems clear that it negatively impacts a developing brain. Other work that’s
coming out seems related to the adult mind.

------
caiocaiocaio
I guess I have a crappy brain, then, because it just makes me paranoid and
depressed.

~~~
honkycat
Huge stoner here. I quit for a few years, recently moved to Portland, Oregon
and have started smoking again. I'm REALLY enjoying it, especially as someone
who has appetite issues.

1\. Smoke less. I had the paranoia and uncomfortable feeling problem for a
long time and eventually I learned to just know when to say enough. In a group
setting people tend to smoke a LOT, because some people have really high
tolerance. I usually do a few puffs and then I'm good for a few hours... and
then I eat some food, pass out, and sleep like the dead until morning. It is
GREAT.

2\. Go for strains with lower THC and higher CBD content. CBD is what produced
the relaxed feeling and is in some clinically-approved drugs.

OR, don't smoke! I personally enjoy it but to each their own.

~~~
grasshopperpurp
When I first started smoking, it was hugely beneficial. I grew up in a high-
stress environment, and while art and philosophy helped me cope on an
intellectual level, it wasn't until I started smoking that I believed in a
physical way many of the things I understood intellectually. When I had to
quit for a couple months, it was very difficult, though, because I was still
very much a work in progress. I recently quit again (temporarily) for a little
over a month, and it's been much, much easier. I was worried that I might be
psychologically dependent, because I smoked pretty much every day, and while I
felt great, and am generally very happy, I was concerned that sense of well-
being would go away when I quit again. Thankfully, I don't really miss it
overall, and I feel great - just like when I was smoking regularly (same but
different). I do miss it at specific times for specific activities, though.

~~~
cheeko1234
I've been trying to quit for months but having a really hard time. It helps me
with my anxiety and negative ruminations but now I feel too dependent on it.

~~~
grasshopperpurp
Everyone is different, and I can only speak to my experience, but here's what
worked for me:

I meditated on the differences I felt when high and not. Getting beyond the
physical sensations, which are very nice, the biggest difference was that I
was able to relax my mind and enjoy things when high. When I was high, I was
not eating an apple and worrying about my daily/weekly/big-picture stresses. I
was just eating an apple. I already knew that this was preferable on an
intellectual level, but getting high allowed me to feel it - to know that it
was actually like.

The first time I quit, I had not practiced enough to enact this in my non-high
state. Even though I knew I wanted it, I let my thoughts hurt me. This last
time, I had practiced/meditated enough to naturally be in the state of just
enjoying an apple (btw - I don't just eat apples all day). Enjoying nature,
taking walks, and my interests/passions also help a lot.

I don't know if that will be helpful to you, but I hope it is :^)

~~~
cheeko1234
Thank you.

------
cartercole
Class 1 Controlled Substance - No known medical use

------
dzdt
I agree the headline needs simplification, but think this goes to far.

Original headline: _Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus
neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects_

Suggested headline: _Cannabinoids promote neuron growth; have anti-anxiety and
antidepressant effects_

The headline as submitted: _Marijuana Causes Brain Cells to Grow and
Happiness_

My objections are the headline as submitted is un-grammatical and also
simplifies inaccurately way more than necessary for this audience (and anyone
who would be interested in the actual article)

------
jhabdas
Y'all just figuring this out now. Pfft

~~~
superkuh
Well, the article is from 2005. And it wasn't the first to describe increased
new neuron survival in the hippocampus from CB1 agonists. But it's always nice
to inform those that missed out. Hell, some people still believe in
continental drift. Old ideas are persistent.

