BODY'S PAIN RELIEF MIMICS CANNABIS

The ability of cannabis to control the pain of people suffering from
illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis may arise because
the body makes similar chemicals to control pain signals.

Scientists have discovered that cannabis-like substances that the body
produces are key in the control of pain experienced beyond the central
nervous system.

That would tally with the preference of a growing number of people who are
smoking cannabis to control symptoms from various illnesses. In California,
a recent by-law allowed people to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes.

According to work published today in the science journal Nature,
"cannabinoid receptors" located outside the brain and spine are affected
when the skin or flesh is cut or hurt. A cannabis-like chemical produced by
the body, called anadamide, is released when cells are damaged and helps to
ease the pain sensation.

Working together with another cannabinoid called PEA that the body makes,
they reduced pain 100-fold, scientists found.

Antonio Calignano, at the University of Naples in Italy, found that rats
which were treated with a chemical that blocked the action of anadamide
showed longer and greater reaction to pain.

The findings could be important for research now underway in Britain, where
the Home Office last month issued the first-ever licence to grow cannabis
for investigation into the development of medicines.

Dr Geoffrey Guy, who is running the tests, aims to extract active chemicals
from the plants and check their effectiveness as painkillers. "I'm
interested in producing something helpful to certain people, such as
multiple sclerosis sufferers, people with painful spinal injuries and pain
from nerve diseases," he said last month.

The Italian researchers also noted that their findings could lead to new
anaesthetics which will exploit the ability of anandamide and similar
cannabinoids generated by the body to "reduce pain without ... side effects
and perceived abuse potential" of cannabis or opiates such as heroin.