Pink Eyed Jim’s Blog

La Jolla, CA: THC inhibits the formation of amyloid plaque, the primary marker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), far more effectively than approved medications, according to preclinical data to be published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.

Investigators at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California reported that THC inhibits the enzyme responsible for the aggregation of amyloid plaque in a manner “considerably superior” to approved Alzheimer’s drugs such as donepezil and tacrine.

“Our results provide a mechanism whereby the THC molecule can directly impact Alzheimer’s disease pathology,” researchers concluded. “THC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic [option] for Alzheimer’s disease [by]… simultaneously treating both the symptoms and the progression of [the] disease.”

Previous studies have shown cannabinoids to possess anti oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, both of which may play a role in moderating Alzheimer’s.

Last year, investigators at Madrid’s Complutense University and the Cajal Institute in Spain reported that the intracerebroventricular administration of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 prevented cognitive impairment and decreased neurotoxicity in rats. Other cannabinoids were also found to reduce the inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease in human brain tissue in culture. “Our results indicate that… cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease,” investigators concluded.

Over 4.5 million Americans are estimated to be afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. That figure is expected to triple over the next 50 years. Previous human trials of synthetic THC (Marinol) and Alzheimer’s found that administration of the drug reduced agitation and stimulated weight gain in patients suffering from the disease.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, “A molecular link between the active component of marijuana and Alzheimer¹s disease pathology,” is available online at: http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/mpohbp/asap/abs/mp060066m.html. Additional information on cannabinoids and neurodegenerative disorders is available online at: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6812.

I submitted a post earlier to Darren Rowse’s List Writing Project. He has recieved between two and three hundred submissions so far. I’ve been looking through them and I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you.

• Signs of the Upcoming Blogamageddon and 20 Things Every Blogger Should Know to Prevent It *
• Get traffic to your blog - Top 10
• 10 Questions to Ask Before You Work at a Startup
• Top 10+ ways to Save Money and Help the Environment
• Strategies for online reputation monitoring
• 7 New Ways to Use Google and Gmail
• The 10 Best Ways to Win an Argument
• Top Seven Cuts of Meat You Can’t Screw Up on the Grill
• The Problem with Writing . . . 25 Things to Know BEFORE You Write for a Living
• Aristotle’s Top 3 Tips for Effective Blogging
• 16 Ways to spot a Bad Restaurant
• Top 10 Wine Myths
• 15 Government programs we don’t need

Check them out, there are some really good and entertaining lists there.

It was my freshman year of High School the first time somebody asked me “Are you going bald?”

I was 14. People could tell.

But I’ve never minded.

I can’t tell you how many people act like it’s the end of the world, or some kind of handicap or something.

“Have you ever thought about Hair Restoration?” is one I get a lot.

No, I don’t want hair restoration. I’m comforatble being bald. In fact I quite like it. I haven’t had to fix a curly piece of hair that won’t stay down for over five years, and I’m happy about that. A bottle of shampoo lasts me around 8 months.

They make “hair products” called Bald Guyz now. Eight dollars for a small bottle of shampoo or conditioner. Call me crazy, but shouldn’t a bald man’s hair products be cheaper than normal hair products?

In conclusion, I’m bald, get over it.