WHY A JOINT A DAY COULD KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY

CANNABIS will become the aspirin of the 21st century" if the early
findings of new research are confirmed.

It is thought the drug could protect against devastating illnesses
including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease.

Scientists at the Institute of Neurology in London said greater
understanding of the properties of cannabis compounds was opening up
new possibilities for treatments.

The most optimistic predictions are that cannabis could have a wide
range of preventative qualities when taken regularly, making it the
"new aspirin". Originally seen as a painkiller, aspirin has
increasingly been shown to help prevent conditions ranging from heart
disease to breast cancer.

Professor Alan Thompson and his colleagues wrote in the
journal Lancet Neurology: "Basic research is
discovering interesting members of this family of
compounds that have previously unknown qualities, the
most notable of which is the capacity for
neuroprotection [protection of nerve cells."

Cannabis is already used as a painkiller by many people, including
multiple sclerosis sufferers, although medicines based on the drug
have yet to be licensed.

Famed for its perception-altering abilities - and for causing
short-term memory loss - it now looks like the drug could slow the
effects of ageing on the brain.

The system of cannabinoid receptors - those areas of the nervous
system to which the drug binds inside the body - is thought to help
balance chemicals in the brain which regulate the rate at which nerve
cells fire. By altering this system with cannabis, scientists believe
it may be possible to arrest brain decay in conditions such as
Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

David Baker, the lead author of the Lancet review, said:
"Something regulates this decay and if we could slow it by even a
small fraction we might delay by a decade the point where someone
loses their memory."

A study by Baker and colleagues, in which the cannabinoid receptors
were removed in mice, showed that the rate of nerve loss was
increased, indicating its role in preserving brain function.