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Change of research direction!

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Infundibulum

Infundibulum

Kalt und Heiß, Schwarz und Rot, Kürper und Geist,
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OG Pioneer
Chemical engineer
I just embarked to a new project to study the action of endocannabinoids in the mammalian uterus, I feel very excited about that and I wanted to share it with the people here. What a way to begin an otherwise dull monday morning...!

So, the deal is that uterus contains the highest amount of the two endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol) and they seem to control implantation of the embryo to the uterus. High concentration of endocannabinoids in the uterus is refractory to embryo implantation and they need to be broken down before this happens.

Would be nice if I could get hold of anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol as well!
 
Study of the endocannabinoïdsystem also reveals that, contrary to what many people belief, cannabis IS addictive. The endocannabinoïd system has a somewhat simmilar function as the endorphinsystem; where endorphines are meant to ease pain, endocannabinoïds are meant for releasing anxiety and stress. When someone uses marihuana on a very frequent basis, the body adapts, releasing less endocannabinoïds adn decreasing the amount of cannabinoïdreceptors. When after excessive use, someone suddenly stops smoking marihuana, the brain activity that is normally supressed, wich is assosciated with anxiety, suddenly increases. In other words this means that a frequent user who suddenly stops smoking will most likely go through a period of higher stress and anxiety levels and will probably feel an urge to ease these symptoms by smoking cannabis again.
 
While I wouldn't disagree, I would prefer some references please!:)

It should be noted however that there are many trajectories of addiction; Alcohol causes molecular changes in your brain (I read a paper recently about epigenetic changes brought about in the brains of rats that were receiving alcohol daily, see attachment) and I do not seem why THC shouldn't do the same - you change the physiological balance of chemicals in your brain, which triggers all these molecular positive / negative feedback loops to adjust brain biochemistry to the new conditions (the "drugged" :p condition!). So, upon withdrawal of your-favourite-drug brain can struggle to return to the previous balance.

Now, how difficult is it to reset the physiological balance after opiate adaptation?

Human history says it's a pretty goddamn pain in the arse (and not only)

And how difficult is it to reset the physiological balance after cannabinoid adaptation?

Well, would most people agree that it's not a big deal? I really do not know, but I would assume that people would give variable answers simply because everyone understands, feels and deals differently with the apparent symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and stress that may appear upon withdrawal!
 
polytrip said:
Study of the endocannabinoïdsystem also reveals that, contrary to what many people belief, cannabis IS addictive. The endocannabinoïd system has a somewhat simmilar function as the endorphinsystem; where endorphines are meant to ease pain, endocannabinoïds are meant for releasing anxiety and stress. When someone uses marihuana on a very frequent basis, the body adapts, releasing less endocannabinoïds adn decreasing the amount of cannabinoïdreceptors. When after excessive use, someone suddenly stops smoking marihuana, the brain activity that is normally supressed, wich is assosciated with anxiety, suddenly increases. In other words this means that a frequent user who suddenly stops smoking will most likely go through a period of higher stress and anxiety levels and will probably feel an urge to ease these symptoms by smoking cannabis again.
Click to expand...

that's strange, I'm the complete opposite...more relaxed when I stop, but highly anxious when on it. I don't even like to leave the house unless I'm completely baseline.
 
endogenous cannabinoids are biosynthesized on demand normally. polytrip you are right that your body may down regulate expression of endogenous cannabinoid receptors in certain parts of the brain but its tough to say to what level and what it means. you can smoke heavily for years and not even come close to experiencing the type of withdrawl that comes from opiates.

benzyme in response to why you feel anxious when high i believe there is a physiological explanation. THC when administered by itself in higher doses causes cholinergic deficits. this also is why THC effects memory. they found that in mice that when administering Acetyl choline esterase inhibitors these negative side effects go away. there is an even more interesting aspect to this and it relates to the plant SWIMs friend of a friend cant talk to much about it though. if you havent noticed SWIMs friend of a friend also is very interested in cannabinoids.
 
This sounds very interresting. One of the reasons i haven't used cannabis since one and a half year is the short term memory effects. Still, what i said about the addictive side of cannabis...It's true that you don't get physical withdrawal symptoms like with opiates, but the mental aspect of addiction is ofcourse the worst. And mental withdrawal symptoms do occur. There are numerous medicine's with fysical withdrawal symptoms that aren't considered to be addictive because they don't have this mental side.
 
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