Pfizer ends development of obesity drug

piggy submitted, created time 2 months 18 hours (www.reuters.com)

NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc on Wednesday became the latest drugmaker to abandon an obesity treatment that works by blocking the receptors in the brain that makes people hungry after smoking marijuana.

The world's largest drugmaker said it was terminating late stage development of its experimental obesity drug, CP-945,598, citing a more conservative regulatory climate and problems seen with other medicines from the same class

4 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: illegal drugs illicit drugs drugs appetite marijuana Pfizer Obesity obesity treatment

New Cannabis-like Drugs Could Block Pain Without Affecting Brain, Says Study

sea-maid submitted, created time 3 months 3 weeks (www.sciencedaily.com)

New research shows that CB2 receptors, a type of cannabis receptor, are present in the peripheral nervous system but not in the brain. The signficance? Now cannabinoid drugs that can be tweaked to affect only this receptor can be used for painkilling purposes without causing physical addiction or intoxication or any of the mild mental side effects know in recreational marijuana. Osteoarthritis in particular seems a likely place to apply this information.

2 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: drugperipheral nervous system brain study brain cells cannabis illegal drugs osteoarthritis illicit drugs marijuana pain anesthesiology anesthesia

Prescribed pot users face transplant hurdles

kavin submitted, created time 8 months 1 week (www.msnbc.msn.com)

Should using marijuana be held against a patient in need of transplant? About this question, there are several different views. And people tend to advise that there needs to be some kind of national eligibility criteria. Because the patients are trusting their physician to do the right thing. The physician prescribes marijuana, they take the marijuana, and they are shocked that this is now the end result. And no one tracks how many patients are denied transplants over medical marijuana use.

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: risk factors transplants drugs science and politics patients medical marijuana marijuana

American Psychiatric Association Assembly Unanimously Backs Medical Marijuana

wugongliang submitted, created time 1 year 1 month (www.salem-news.com)

In a unanimous vote, the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association has approved a strongly worded statement supporting legal protection for patients using medical marijuana with their doctor's recommendation.

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: illegal drugs politics drugs marijuana medical marijuana

Chem Lab: Sea Urchin Eggs Plus Marijuana Equal Amazing New Drugs

kids' marijuana use is related with Mother

marry submitted, created time 1 year 4 months (www.reutershealth.com)

A new study suggests.Children with mothers who smoke cigarettes are more likely to be regular marijuana users by early adulthood.

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: marijuana children health health problems

New study examines 'brain's own marijuana'

athena submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (www.biologynews.net)

A researcher at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) is investigating the “brain’s own marijuana” -- called endocannabinoid -- in the regulation of stress, stress-related behavior and anxiety.

Submit comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: marijuana abuse marijuana relieve stress

Vaporization provides safer delivery for medical marijuana

Darkfrog submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (www.nature.com)

Marijuana is used as a painkiller, appetite stimulant and nausea suppressant in patients with glaucoma, AIDS, MS and who are on chemotherapy, but smoking introduces harmful carcinogens and ingestion can degrade the active components. Still, I'm somehow not surprised that this study comes out of UC San Francisco.

Vaporization works on several other whole-plant substances. I heard that a company or two was working on an insulin inhaler for a while, but I don't think they had much luck.

Submit comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: AIDS HIV&AIDS smoking marijuana medical marijuana cancer MS glaucoma drug delivery chemotherapy multiple sclerosis