News (Media Awareness Project) - US: Marijuana Seen As Addictive In Monkeys |
| Title: | US: Marijuana Seen As Addictive In Monkeys |
| Published On: | 2000-10-16 |
| Source: | New York Times (NY) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-03 05:19:59 |
MARIJUANA SEEN AS ADDICTIVE IN MONKEYS
Monkeys repeatedly gave themselves doses of the main active ingredient of
marijuana in a new federal study, and the researchers say the result
emphasizes the idea that people can become addicted to marijuana and
provides a way to test therapies.
Laboratory animals will take most drugs abused by people, but marijuana has
been an exception, said Dr. Steven Goldberg, a researcher with the National
Institute on Drug Abuse.
Some people might interpret that as suggesting that marijuana has little
potential for addiction, Dr. Goldberg said. But the new work found that
squirrel monkeys repeatedly pushed a lever to get injections of the
marijuana ingredient THC, Dr. Goldberg and colleagues report in the
November issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The animals pushed the lever about as often as other monkeys pushed a lever
to get cocaine, but Dr. Goldberg said that did not necessarily mean
marijuana is as addictive as cocaine in people.
The drug abuse institute says marijuana causes compulsive and often
uncontrollable craving and use, despite health and social consequences, and
as a result is addictive.
Not everybody agrees.
"This drug is not addicting. Clinical experience says that," said Dr.
Lester Grinspoon, an emeritus professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical
School.
The monkey study does not prove otherwise, said Dr. Grinspoon, who is
chairman of the board of the NORML Foundation, which promotes medical use
of marijuana and ultimately its legalization.
In Dr. Goldberg's experiment, four squirrel monkeys sat through hourlong
test sessions once a day with a tube attached to a vein. When a green light
turned on, they could push a lever 10 times to get a THC injection.
They gave themselves up to 30 injections per session, versus one to four
when the tube delivered water.
In proportion to their body size, the monkeys got about the same dose of
THC per injection that a person does with each puff from a marijuana
cigarette. The monkeys did not show any sign of being sedated, Dr. Goldberg
said.
Monkeys repeatedly gave themselves doses of the main active ingredient of
marijuana in a new federal study, and the researchers say the result
emphasizes the idea that people can become addicted to marijuana and
provides a way to test therapies.
Laboratory animals will take most drugs abused by people, but marijuana has
been an exception, said Dr. Steven Goldberg, a researcher with the National
Institute on Drug Abuse.
Some people might interpret that as suggesting that marijuana has little
potential for addiction, Dr. Goldberg said. But the new work found that
squirrel monkeys repeatedly pushed a lever to get injections of the
marijuana ingredient THC, Dr. Goldberg and colleagues report in the
November issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The animals pushed the lever about as often as other monkeys pushed a lever
to get cocaine, but Dr. Goldberg said that did not necessarily mean
marijuana is as addictive as cocaine in people.
The drug abuse institute says marijuana causes compulsive and often
uncontrollable craving and use, despite health and social consequences, and
as a result is addictive.
Not everybody agrees.
"This drug is not addicting. Clinical experience says that," said Dr.
Lester Grinspoon, an emeritus professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical
School.
The monkey study does not prove otherwise, said Dr. Grinspoon, who is
chairman of the board of the NORML Foundation, which promotes medical use
of marijuana and ultimately its legalization.
In Dr. Goldberg's experiment, four squirrel monkeys sat through hourlong
test sessions once a day with a tube attached to a vein. When a green light
turned on, they could push a lever 10 times to get a THC injection.
They gave themselves up to 30 injections per session, versus one to four
when the tube delivered water.
In proportion to their body size, the monkeys got about the same dose of
THC per injection that a person does with each puff from a marijuana
cigarette. The monkeys did not show any sign of being sedated, Dr. Goldberg
said.
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