Latest Research
Study Shows Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) May Help Relieve Depression Symptoms
THC Decreases Brain Activity In The Face Of Negative Stimuli A team of researchers from The Netherlands published this study in the journal European Neuropsychology this month; it focused on the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on humans while processing emotional content. In order to assess the processing, the researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to gauge the eleven volunteer subjects’ brain activity. Subjects were shown a number of faces expressing different emotions and asked whether the person was happy or fearful. This task was …
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): The Most Popular Cannabinoid
What is Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)? Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC as it is commonly referred to as, results from numerous changes and reactions in the cannabis plant. For starters, the cannabis plant produces a cannabinoid known as Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). From here, a portion of the CBGA is then converted to tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THCA), which only becomes THC when exposed to heat or UV light. Because of this decarboxylation process, most of the THC you consume when ingesting or inhaling the cannabis plant actually started as THCA — …
Synthetic THC May Help in the Treatment of Phobias
Exposure-Based Therapy for Phobias Phobias are “overwhelming and unreasonable fear[s] of an object or situation that poses little real danger but provokes anxiety and avoidance”. Living with phobias can be intrusive and draining. For example, someone who suffers from agoraphobia is unable to even leave their house without experiencing extreme and intense discomfort. Though the individual has an irrational fear of the outside world, at its origins, the phobia typically stems from a rational fear (i.e. rejection or failure). When it comes to the treatment of anxiety disorders like phobias, one of the go-to options is exposure-based …
Study: THC Encourages Neuroplasticity In The Brain
THC Can Protect From Brain Deficits Cannabis research has continued to grow in popularity in recent years, and it has recently been suggested that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) offers protection for the brain. In a study published in September 2012, researchers intentionally caused injuries to the brains of mice with: Repeated exposure to MDMA (ecstasy) Carbon monoxide exposure Anesthesia caused by pentobarbital, an anesthetic which is sometimes used for execution. They also administered a single ultra-low dosage of the cannabinoid THC (.002mg/kg) either: 1-7 days before the …
Study Shows THC May Limit Damage Caused By Heart Attack
Small Amounts Of THC Defend Against Heart Attacks A recent study conducted by the Felsenstein Medical Research Center in Israel offered some new evidence of the medical value of Cannabis. The study, published in the Journal of Biochemical Pharmacology, was conducted to determine what effect small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has on heart protection. In order to do so, they conducted an experiment using mice as the subjects. “A single ultra low dose of THC before ischemia [Insufficient Blood flow] …