Medical Marijuana benefits are more and more accepted by society, and investigation groups nowadays. This scientific investigators have been testing main compounds of cannabis during decades to know more about healing properties of this plant.
Thousands of years after first refferences about marijuana uses and consume, the medical potential of cannabis is still a mystery. There is a fact that endocannabinoid system was found only 25 years ago - neuronal net connection, and other cells from the nervous system, wich functioning is altered by main active compounds of cannabis-. Our organism generates endogamic variants of theses substances to balance brain functions like acting, memory or pain. The goal for the investigators now is convert cannabinoids in a pharmaceutical product with better effectivity against wide range of pains, from tumors or epilepsy.
According to Manuel Guzmán - Universidad complutense de Madrid investigation director - "Even being a substance consumed for centuries, benefits have been only tested in few studies". Against there is a rising basic knowledge about its effects thanks to studies with animals and human cells.
The study made by Dr Guzmán, and other authors, demonstrate that cannabinoids, like THC, principal responsible of psycoactive effects of marijuana, reduces the glioblastomas increase - a brain tumor very agressive and difficult to treat. The same Dr Guzmán, even recognizing that tests with humans are just a few, evidences that cannabis can eliminate cancer in human, and mice, cells.
These days there are clinical tests in United Kingdom, in wich Dr Guzmán's team is coworking, with Sativex - a well known drug that contains two of the main compounds of cannabis (THC and CBD), in patients with tumours that have reappeared after surgery. This drug is given together with chemiotherapy. According to information, Dr. Guzmán, and his team, expect to start with clinical tests in Spain in a few months, to prove effectiveness as first treatment in patients with glioblastoma.
Guzmán - President of the Spanish Society of Cannabinoid Investigation - tells that we are living a boom in investigations with cannabinoids, thanks to the impulse recieved by personal experiences, or familiar. One of the applications that highlights over the others, and that claims for more attention is CBD to reduce epileptic attacks in children with Dravet sindrome. Its effectiveness it's being proved in clinical tests.
The reality is that THC receptors are very abondant in human brain, more than what dopamine or serotonine have. That's because there is a huge potential to create new pharmaceutical products. According to Rafael Maldonado - Investigator at Neuropharmacology lab from Pompeu fabra University, one of the biggest impediments to create new pharmaceutical products with marijuana is its psycoactive effects. Refferring to this fact, we have to mention that a team of investigators have reached to separate the therapeutical effects of THC from hallucinogen's. The target of this investigation - tested in mice- is find drugs that don't change your acting nor make you loose memory.
Marijuana to cure Alzheimer
A study describes a protein - peptid- when given to rodents, blocks part of the unwanted effects of marijuana, without modifying other analgesic functions. This lab, that is grouped in Neuropain - looking for new applications of cannabinoids against neurophatic pain in humans with amputated extremities.
Cannabinoids could be a good tool to fight against alzheimer, parkinson and common modern diseases, due to a longer life expectation. These illnesses are usually caused by problems like oxydation, o the missing of vascular irrigation, problems that might be corrected by cannabinoids in many cases.
Experts tell to be cautiousness with these informations but, clarify that is more than probable that in a near future appears a new drug agains brain tumors based in cannabinoids.
Legal use of marijuana in Spain
Actually, the only pharmaceutical product -formulated from cannabis) approved by State is Sativex, produced by British pharmaceutical (GW Pharmaceuticals). This drug could be used in patients with multiple sclerosis, and treating chemoteraphy's nausea. In both cases doctor should ask for authorization to Agencia Española del Medicamento.
Sativex is close to what a cannabis oil would be.
Refferences:
El País
US National Library of Medicine - National Institute of Health
