BODY MAKES MARIJUANA PAINKILLER

PAIN triggers the release in the brain of a chemical similar to the active
ingredient of marijuana, according to a study that will aid the development
of painkillers and supports the medical use of cannabis, writes Roger
Highfield.

This is the first time that the role of the drug - a cannabinoid known as
anandamide - in the brain's pain response system has been documented.

The findings are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences by Prof Michael Walker and colleagues at Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island. The discovery was not unexpected: cannabinoids
have been used to treat pain for centuries.

However, the detailed knowledge will be valuable for the future treatment
of pain, particularly when conventional drugs such as opiates are found to
be ineffective.