Israelis develop 'cannabis without the high'
Israeli scientists have cultivated a cannabis plant that doesn't get people stoned in a development that may help those smoking marijuana for medical purposes, a newspaper said on Wednesday.
According to the Maariv daily, the new cannabis looks, smells and even tastes the same, but does not induce any of the feelings normally associated with smoking marijuana that are brought on by the substance THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol.
"It has the same scent, shape and taste as the original plant -- it's all the same -- but the numbing sensation that users are accustomed to has disappeared," said Tzahi Klein, head of development at Tikkun Olam, the firm that developed the species.
"Many of our patients who tried the new plant come back to us and say: 'You tricked me,'" because they assumed they had been given a placebo, he said.
According to Maariv, Tikkun Olam sought to neutralise the effect of the THC and to increase the effect of another substance called CBD, or cannabidiol, which has been shown to help diabetics and to ease various psychiatric disorders.
Not only does it leave users stone-cold sober, it also doesn't induce the munchies, the hunger pangs that the drug's smokers generally suffer.
Despite the innovation, it is unlikely to have any impact on Israeli law, which outlaws the use of marijuana as illegal except for medical purposes.
According to figures published earlier this year by Sheba Medical Centre and the Israel Cancer Association, medical marijuana has been approved for use by about 6,000 Israelis suffering from various illnesses.
Explore further
(c) 2012 AFP
User comments
If this can successfully replace standard marijuana for all medical purposes, this would be an excellent test of medical marijuana users in areas where that is legal. Are they actually receiving a benefit from the medicinal properties of the plant, or are they just using that as an excuse to get high?
I suspect that there are some people in both camps.
Probably, but hemp is a tricky source of fiber, because so much of it is unusable and has to be discarded, and the handling requires more labor than with flax or cotton, or indeed wood if you're looking at paper products. And it doesn't really offer any superior qualities either - it was preferred in history because it's a weed - it grows everywhere.
There are already strains of cannabis that produce so little THC that you can't get high on them. In fact the drug strain is derived from these by artifical selection, instead of the other way around. Nearly all of the world's commercial hemp fiber production actually goes towards manufacturing extra thin paper for bibles, and for cigarette wraps.
One group who may potentially enjoy the benefits of cannabis without the high would be those suffering from ulcerative colitis and other bowel discomfort diseases.
The stuff discarded can easily be used for different things.
More labor, better economy.
Its also better for the environment. It can be produced locally which means less transport also a good thing.
Actually, Cannabis Oil does indeed cure most cancers as well as a great many other diseases. I know of several cases personally. See http://www.youtub...JhQHk_GI
One guy shovels dirt out of a hole, and another guy shovels it back in, right?
Productivity is what makes the economy, not the fact that people are doing pointless work, because the work itself consumes resources.
Holy Christ... I've never seen such a remarkable display of economic stupidity.
Yeah, that line made my jaw drop too.
Correct, this is a good farming technique, however we have machines for that now.
Defined productivity? Does the high American demand for cocaine make Afghanistan and Mexico productive countries?
Or does the fake GDP from the USA hyper inflation make a country productive?
I know this well. I went through 8 intensive treatments with a 5-chemical chemo cocktail. The nausea is like one of the worst flu's you ever had. I was sicker than shit the first day and all I could eat was half a strawberry. With one good toke, the nausea quickly waned. Another, and the nausea diminished to near nothing. I ate an entire burrito 20 minutes later.
The very strong plants I had got me stoned, but it was way better than nausea. I stayed healthy and returned to work on Monday after my Friday chemos. I gained 3 pounds over the course of my treatment.
Wikipedia - Cannabinoid receptor, THC, Cannabidiol
I had a prescription for the pill form of THC, which is a synthetic analog called dronabinol(trade name: Marinol). While it does work, it is not nearly as effective as inhaling the vapors, usually by smoking.
The pills have a lag period before they begin to work. If you are extremely nauseous, you want quick relief and may throw up the pill after you take it. The ability to absorb an effective dose within minutes is much preferable to the oral route. The pill is also not as potent when it does take effect. My oncologist and I had some enlightening conversations about effectiveness.
I was not using it for pain relief. For that I prefer opioids. I believe that a combination of THC and the other cannabinoids work best together to alleviate pain. Many women I know say marijuana is tremendously effective for menstrual period relief.
Right, the 3 that a placebo would help. This is like white chocolate. Take the chocolate out, give it a name and it sells. Canola sounds much better than Rapeseed right? Garbage by any other name still stinks.
Having a barbecue and I have to trim all the red parts off the meat. Anyone want to buy some white steaks?
Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more