cannabisnews.com: Born With The Munchies Born With The Munchies Posted by FoM on July 05, 2000 at 16:32:49 PT Cannabis-like compounds may allow babies to thrive Source: New Scientist Chemicals related to the active ingredient of cannabis might be vital for our survival. Naturally occurring cannabinoids in newborn mice trigger feeding, and without them the animals may die within days, says a biologist in Israel. She believes the chemicals could play a similar role in people. Cannabinoids produced in the body are known to be natural painkillers. They also coordinate the dopamine system, helping to control movement. But smoking cannabis increases appetite, a property that is sometimes exploited to help cancer and AIDS patients. Cannabinoids have also been detected in human and cow's milk, and levels here are at their highest the day after giving birth. Ester Fride of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem thought these observations might be a clue that naturally occurring cannabinoids are important in the early development of newborns. To test this, she injected newborn mice with a chemical that blocks cannabinoids by competing for receptors in the brain. None of the treated pups fed from their mothers. Some died within a week, and those that survived developed more slowly, Fride told the meeting. When Fride and her colleagues treated the pups with the active component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, in a dose sufficient to swamp the effect of the blocker, the pups fed and grew normally, confirming that the blocker chemical was not itself toxic. "It seems that the pups are completely unable to ingest food without endogenous cannabinoids," she says. Helen Phillips From New Scientist Magazine, July 8, 2000© Copyright New Scientist, RBI Limited 2000 Related Articles:Scientists May Use Cannabis to Devise New Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6294.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by Dan B on July 09, 2000 at 02:25:25 PT: A Few More Thoughts . . . Perhaps they have hinted at another reason why we tend to enjoy the herb so much; it provides for us chemicals that we have grown used to in the nearly indetectable levels found in human and cow milk--chemicals we haven't reacted to since our early development. When we ingest them again in detectable levels, our bodies naturally respond in a positive, calming fashion because our subconscious minds are reacting to that calming efect we received from our mothers' milk way back when we our mothers breastfed us. I wonder if the same chemicals can be found in infant formula. If not, they might want to study the effect of adding these chemicals to baby formulas. Might mimic mothers' milk better.It could well be that these chemicals are partly responsible for the bonding that takes place between a breastfeeding mother and her baby. (Then again, many of us tend to feel a certain bonding when sucking on breasts even as adults!): ) [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by mungojelly on July 07, 2000 at 09:41:49 PT: i knew cannabis was as safe as mother's milk... I knew cannabis was as safe as mother's milk, but I didn't know that they actually had the same active ingredient. Now that's ironic. Correct me if I'm wrong, but under current US law, doesn't this mean that mother's milk is technically illegal? It contains an analog of delta-9-THC, wouldn't it therefore fall under those designer drug laws? [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Kanabys on July 06, 2000 at 08:32:38 PT Other countries It's gonna take the discoveries of other countries to bring the lies of the US govt out. I say more power to all of the countries that are undertaking cannabis research. I just hope that the feds don't go jacking with them like they do EVERYTHING else! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on July 06, 2000 at 04:41:07 PT: Watch out, expectant Moms! 'Cannabinoids have also been detected in human and cow's milk, and levels here are at their highest the day after giving birth. Ester Fride of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem thought these observations might be a clue that naturally occurring cannabinoids are important in the earlydevelopment of newborns.'Given the insanity of the DrugWar, you can soon expect Barry and Company to outlaw human breasts. They contain cannabinoids, right? Very soon, the DrugWarriors will be calling for mandatory radical masectomies to prevent 'The Chil-drun!' from being 'endangered' by endogenous cannabinoids found in Mother's milk.As the comedian Don Rickles once observed about Congress, the DrugWarriors "should all be put into a Home, and stop bothering the American people!" [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on July 05, 2000 at 18:55:59 PT The Children, Oh My!!!! How will they "Save the children" if they're feeding them this herb? By the way I never thought of it as a drug. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on July 05, 2000 at 17:16:06 PT: Nature always has it's reasons Ever since the discovery of the anandamide receptors, I'd wondered why they existed. I think we have a partial answer... and one with astonishing consequences for the DrugWarriors.It's already known that the linoleic acids found in hempseed oils have superior cholesterol-fighting properties. (Hear that, all you donut scarffing narcs? Your diet is killing you. And all the while, the plant you revile could save your life. But of course, your pig-headed insistance on prosecuting an unwinnable war causes you to ignore the very info that might save your arteriosclerotic ass.) The Israelis are investigating the anti-spasmodic properties of cannabis to fight nerve agant poisoning. And the anti-emetic properties of cannabis are legendary; ask any cancer survivor; that is, those who were able to dodge your cruel insistence that they die for your principles and used it.So many uses for such a supposedly 'useless' plant. So much good coming from the infamous 'assassin of youth'. And now we learn it plays an extraordinarliy important role at the *moment of our births*.But the pols and ther narcs just keep digging their heads further into the sand with each new discovery. It only makes it easier to do to them politicaly what William Bennett wanted to do to us physically; chop their heads off. November is coming, people; is your voting pinkie in good shape? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: