Pot Might Blunt Damage of Binge Drinking
Study found those who also smoked showed less damage to brain's white matter
FRIDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Marijuana may buffer the brain against the damages of binge drinking, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, used high-tech scans to compare microscopic changes in brain white matter in teens aged 16 to 19 who were divided into three groups: binge drinkers (boys who consume five or more drinks at one sitting, and girls who have four or more drinks); binge drinkers who also smoked marijuana; and a control group with little or no experience with either alcohol or drugs.
As expected, the binge drinkers showed signs of white matter damage in all eight brain regions examined by the researchers. But the binge drinkers/marijuana users had less damage in seven out of the eight brain regions than the binge drinkers did. And compared to the control group, the binge drinkers/marijuana users had more white matter damage in only three regions.
The researchers wrote that brain white matter tracts were "more coherent in adolescents who binge drink and use marijuana than in adolescents who report only binge drinking." They said it's "possible that marijuana may have some neuroprotective properties in mitigating alcohol-related oxidative stress or excitotoxic cell death."
The study appears in the current issue of the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology.
"This study suggests that not only is marijuana safer than alcohol, it may actually protect against some of the damage that booze causes," Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a news release from the project.
"It's far better for teens not to drink or smoke marijuana, but our nation's leaders send a dangerous message by defending laws that encourage the use of alcohol over marijuana," he added.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about binge drinking.
Copyright @2010 HealthDay. All Rights Reserved.
Giving 30 joints to a monkey is a controlled experiment, asking participants what they consumed is anecdotal.
There are no medical benefits to marijuana, it's a narcotic!
If you want to smoke it go right ahead but don't say it's less harmful than alcohol.
oh man moviegeek...
Giving 30 beers to monkeys would also be controlled...i wonder how that study would turn out (id guess 30 dead monkeys). controlled doesnt mean accurate.
here is a definition of narcotic,
An addictive drug, such as opium, that reduces pain, alters mood and behavior, and usually induces sleep or stupor. Natural and synthetic narcotics are used in medicine to control pain.
-NATURAL NARCOTICS ARE USED IN MEDICINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and...if you wanna binge drink go right ahead but dont say its less harmful than marijuana. see, potheads can say it to alcoholics just like alcoholics can say it to potheads...
there is no definitive proof either way...its subjective(just like your thoughts on this)...both are harmful in ways and both are helpful in ways...some perceive harmful effects in differnt ways. some perceive helpful effects in different ways.
Giving 30 joints to a monkey is a controlled experiment, asking participants what they consumed is anecdotal.
There are no medical benefits to marijuana, it's a narcotic!
If you want to smoke it go right ahead but don't say it's less harmful than alcohol.
Movie geek is an idiot. I wouldn't be so quick to say this is a flawed study. Considering the claim that pot kills brain cells was derived after monkeys who wore gas masks inhaled 30 joints in a matter of 12 minutes and was used by our government as evidence that cannabis is evil, I think I will take this study for what its worth. Enjoy your beer later.
Marijuana laws need to removed from the books, and they will be if we keep pushing it.
An interesting and informative article. Recently I read that pot stops the growth and/or spread of prostate cancer, before that glaucoma etc. ..also interesting and informative.Read More About Addiction
MSN Health & Fitness does not provide medical or any other health care advice, diagnosis or treatment.
