Cannabis chemical "helps heart" (BBC News)

[Up2Late]

(How much you want to bet the Fundies will still try to link this as the first step toward illegal drug use?)

Cannabis chemical "helps heart"

A chemical in cannabis can help ward off strokes and heart disease, scientists believe.

Wednesday, 6 April, 2005, 17:18 GMT 18:18 UK

Swiss researchers found THC, one of 60 cannabinoids in the drug, helped stop the narrowing of arteries to the brain and heart in a study of mice. But the team, from Geneva University Hospital, said smoking cannabis did not produce the same effect. However UK experts warned more research was needed before firm conclusions could be drawn.

Deaths

Blocked arteries - a condition known as atherosclerosis - are estimated to be responsible for up to 50% stroke and heart disease deaths in developing countries each year. In the study, published in the Nature journal, mice were fed a high cholesterol diet to make them develop atherosclerosis and then given THC, which causes the high during cannabis use.

The Swiss researchers found THC stopped inflammation of blood vessels, which is largely responsible for blocking arteries. The chemical worked by suppressing the immune system's response to a protein which is responsible for inflammation. Lead researcher Francois Mach said while drugs such as statins which lower blood pressure and cholesterol had proved extremely effective the findings were still of "great medical interest". And he added: "The dose is lower than the dose usually associated with psychotropic effects of THC."

THC is being tested by GW Pharmaceuticals, the firm granted a UK licence to create cannabis-based drugs, in a number of treatments for pain relief and multiple sclerosis under development. However, a study published last week in BMC Psychiatry found THC medicines could lead to psychosis.

(more at link above)