MARIJUANA'S BENEFITS EXPLORED

Active ingredient, THC, shown to prevent formation of harmful plaque
in the brain THC was more effective than the two leading drugs for
treating Alzheimer's, donepezil and tacrine. It almost completely
reduced AChE from forming harmful plaques, whereas donepezil and
tacrine did so only 22 percent and 7 percent of the time. The active
ingredient in marijuana, THC, may be the most effective drug for
treating the declining effects of Alzheimer's disease, according to a
study done by the Scripps Research Institute.

Bill Smith, public health educator at the KU Wellness Resource Center,
said the study's results seemed promising. Smith said it's not a cure,
but at least a good treatment could come out of it.

The study, which appeared in the Oct. 2 issue of Molecular
Pharmaceutics, isolated a synthetic form of the active ingredient in
marijuana, a compound called THC. The study found that THC
"competitively inhibited" the formation of harmful plaques in the
brain. THC stopped the plaque build up of AChE, the enzyme that speeds
up the formation of harmful plaques in the brain associated with
Alzheimer's disease.

THC was more effective than the two leading drugs for treating
Alzheimer's, donepezil and tacrine. It almost completely reduced AChE
from forming harmful plaques, whereas donepezil and tacrine did so
only 22 percent and 7 percent of the time. Perhaps to the dismay of
supporters to legalize the drug, Smith said this didn't mean students
should go out and smoke marijuana.

"Marijuana has been used medicinally for thousands of years for a
variety of things, and it does have some uses, but there are also
negatives," Smith said.

He said long-term problems related to marijuana use could include
symptoms of chronic bronchitis, difficulty sustaining and shifting
attention and difficulty registering, processing and using
information. Short-term problems related to marijuana use could
include memory and learning problems, distorted perception, difficulty
in thinking, loss of coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety
and panic attacks.

According to the Alzheimer's Association Web site, about 4.5 million
American's have Alzheimer's. It's estimated this number will more than
double by 2050. The average cost of care for an Alzheimer's patient is
$174,000.

Laura Green, executive director of Drug Policy Forum of Kansas, said
she thought the study was just another in a long line of studies that
show the beneficial properties of marijuana. "It shows what a lot of
people have known for a long time, including the U.S. government, that
marijuana has properties that are beneficial to people's health," Green said.

Green said marijuana was legal for medicinal purposes in 11 states. In
Kansas there is no protection for any use of marijuana.

Some people are hopeful that new treatments will come out of this study.

"I think what this study is showing is that if you can isolate the
good effects of it, then that's a healthier way to do it," Smith said.