{"id":14942,"date":"2018-10-04T18:35:27","date_gmt":"2018-10-04T18:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=14942"},"modified":"2018-11-01T19:11:27","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T19:11:27","slug":"long-term-use-of-cannabis-or-medication-derived-from-the-drug-impairs-memory-conclude-researchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2018\/10\/long-term-use-of-cannabis-or-medication-derived-from-the-drug-impairs-memory-conclude-researchers\/","title":{"rendered":"Long-Term Use Of Cannabis Or Medication Derived From The Drug Impairs Memory, Conclude Researchers"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"class\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\"><strong>Trials on mice showed those exposed to cannabinoids had memory impairments<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"class\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\"><strong>Brain scans by British and Portuguese researchers then confirmed the finding<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"class\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\"><strong>The new experiment shines a light on the little-known dangers of cannabinoids<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Smoking cannabis or taking medication based on the drug can harm the brain and damage memory, research has found.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Trials on mice showed those exposed long-term to cannabinoids &#8211; compounds found in the marijuana plant &#8211; suffered &#8216;significant&#8217; memory impairments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Brain scans confirmed the finding, and showed cannabis can stop vital memory-controlling regions of the organ communicating with each other.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Experts fear both recreational users and those who rely on it to combat their health conditions may be at risk of memory problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">The study comes after Government advisers yesterday declared doctors should be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis, which contains the potentially harmful cannabinoids.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) agreed cannabis does possess a medicinal benefit, in a review sent to to Home Secretary Sajid Javid.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">He commissioned\u00a0the review after two high profile cases, including that of epileptic 12-year-old Billy Caldwell, whose mother had seven bottles of cannabis oil that helped combat his seizures confiscated at Heathrow Airport.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\">For years scientists have warned smoking cannabis can lead to mental health problems, such as schizophrenia.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Studies have shown cannabis can also shrink memory-related structures in the brain, most notably the hippocampus.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">But there is little understanding of the potential negative side effects of cannabinoids, such as CBD.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">The new experiment, led by scientists at the universities of Lancaster and Lisbon, shines a light on the dangers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">They studied the effects of cannabinoid drug WIN 55,212-2 in mice. It is similar to THC, the compound that causes a high in cannabis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Researchers discovered long-term exposure to the cannabinoid impaired the learning ability and memory of mice.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Rodents who had been exposed to the drug could not even distinguish between a familiar and novel object.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Brain scans backed up the initial finding \u2013 and showed the drug affected the healthy function of brain regions involved in learning and memory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt\">It was discovered that the cannabinoid stopped the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex from communicating with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Researchers led by Lancaster\u2019s Dr Neil Dawson suggested this was to blame for the negative effects of cannabinoids on memory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">The findings were published in the Journal of Neurochemistry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Dr Dawson said: \u2018This work offers valuable new insight into the way in which long-term cannabinoid exposure negatively impacts on the brain.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">He called for further trials to confirm their finding, in order to establish exactly how cannabinoids can damage memory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Ian Hamilton, a drug researcher at York University, told Mail Online: \u2018We know that heavy use of cannabis impairs memory, although the good news is this can be reversed if the person abstains.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">\u2018But studies like this add to the need for young people to avoid daily use of cannabis as this will hinder their ability to learn and recall information for exams.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">The use of medicinal cannabis has been increasing worldwide over the past decade. It is currently not legal medicinally in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Evidence published in respected journals shows the drug can help to combat epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">And in recent years, Spain, South Africa, Uruguay and several states in the US have even made cannabis legal for recreational use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Lisbon\u2019s Professor Ana Sebastiao said: \u2018As for all medicines, cannabinoid-based therapies have not only beneficial disease-related actions, but also negative side effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">\u2018It is for the medical doctor to weight the advantages of the therapy\u2026 against the potential side effects.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mol-factbox-title\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THC AND CBD<\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"ins cleared mol-factbox-body\" style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are both derived from the cannabis plant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Together, they are part of the cannabinoid group of compounds found in hashish, hash oil, and most strains of marijuana.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">THC is the psychoactive compound responsible for the euphoric, &#8216;high&#8217; feeling often associated with marijuana.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">THC interacts with CB1 receptors in the central nervous system and brain and creates the sensations of euphoria and anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">CBD does not fit these receptors well, and actually decreases the effects of THC, and is not psychoactive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">CBD is thought to help reduce anxiety and inflammation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\">Source:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;font-size: 10pt;color: #0000ff\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-5975265\/Long-term-use-cannabis-impairs-memory-conclude-researchers.html\">https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-5975265\/Long-term-use-cannabis-impairs-memory-conclude-researchers.html<\/a>\u00a0July 2018<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trials on mice showed those exposed to cannabinoids had memory impairments Brain scans by British and Portuguese researchers then confirmed the finding The new experiment shines a light on the little-known dangers of cannabinoids Smoking cannabis or taking medication based on the drug can harm the brain and damage memory, research has found.\u00a0Trials on mice [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63,30,68,64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-brain-and-behaviour","category-cannabis-marijuana","category-drug-use-various-effects","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14942\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}