Mice treated with marijuana's active component, THC, along with other key molecules, can experience its pain-relieving benefits without the usual memory impairments.
THC binds to the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in the brain, causing negative effects such as poor memory and anxiety. However, it also affects behaviours that are regulated by the serotonin 2A receptor. Patricia Robledo at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, and her colleagues gave THC to mice lacking the serotonin receptor, and found that the animals did not show signs of memory loss but could still tolerate painful stimuli. Studies of cells expressing both types of receptors revealed that the receptors physically interact. Mice that were given THC and peptides that stop the receptors interacting in the brain did not show memory problems, but still experienced pain relief.
The findings suggest a way to minimize the negative effects of medical marijuana, the authors say.
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Marijuana's good without the bad. Nature 523, 504–505 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/523504d
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/523504d
