ItoBlog

Naked Point

A doobie a day?

Taken from the New Scientist:

A synthetic chemical similar to the active ingredient in marijuana makes new cells grow in rat brains. What is more, in rats this cell growth appears to be linked with reducing anxiety and depression. The results suggest that marijuana, or its derivatives, could actually be good for the brain.

In mammals, new nerve cells are constantly being produced in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is associated with learning, memory, anxiety and depression. Other recreational drugs, such as alcohol, nicotine and cocaine, have been shown to suppress this new growth. Xia Zhang of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and colleagues decided to see what effects a synthetic cannabinoid called HU210 had on rats' brains.

They found that giving rats high doses of HU210 twice a day for 10 days increased the rate of nerve cell formation, or neurogenesis, in the hippocampus by about 40%.

Read the full article here.

A chimp kicks the habit

I always thought smoking was a human activity. Hmmm... Quite an interesting story appeared today on BBC News  about Ai Ai, a chinese chimpanzee who actually quit her 16 year old smoking habit, cold turkey. All you nicotine addicts out there, there's hope: if Ai Ai can do it, anyone can!