[PAA-Discuss] Fwd: [Houston NORML] Chemicals in marijuana

[rebelljb at aol.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: Cheryl Ann Nolin <snowy40 at yahoo.com>
To: houstonnorml club <houstonnorml at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, 7 Sep 2008 1:08 am
Subject: [Houston NORML] Chemicals in marijuana
















Chemicals in Marijuana May Fight MRSA

Study Shows Cannabinoids May Be Useful Against Drug-Resistant Staph 
Infections

By Caroline Wilbert
WebMD Health News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

 



Latest Infectious Disease
Source: http://www.medicinenet.com





Chemicals in Marijuana May Fight MRSA

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Sept. 4, 2008 — Chemicals in marijuana may be useful in fighting MRSA, 
a kind of staph bacterium that is resistant to certain antibiotics.

 

Researchers in Italy and the U.K. tested five major marijuana chemicals 
called cannabinoids on different strains of MRSA (methicillin-resistant 
Staphylococcus aureus). All five showed germ-killing activity against 
the MRSA strains in lab tests. Some synthetic cannabinoids also showed 
germ-killing capability. The scientists note the cannabinoids kill 
bacteria in a different way than traditional antibiotics, meaning they 
might be able to bypass bacterial resistance.

 

At least two of the cannabinoids don't have mood-altering20effects, so 
there could be a way to use these substances without creating the high 
of marijuana.

 

MRSA, like other staph infections, can be spread through casual 
physical contact or through contaminated objects. It is commonly spread 
 from the hands of someone who has it. This could be in a health care 
setting, though there have also been high-profile cases of 
community-acquired MRSA.

 

It is becoming more common for healthy people to get MRSA, which is 
often spread between people who have close contact with one another, 
such as members of a sports team. Symptoms often include skin 
infections, such as boils. MRSA can become serious, particularly for 
people who are weak or ill.

 

In the study, published in the Journal of Natural Products, researchers 
call for further study of the antibacterial uses of marijuana. There 
are "currently considerable challenges with the treatment of infections 
caused by strains of clinically relevant bacteria that show multi-drug 
resistance," the researchers write. New antibacterials are urgently 
needed, but only one new class of antibacterial has been introduced in 
the last 30 years. "Plants are still a substantially untapped source of 
antimicrobial agents," the researchers conclude.

SOURCES: Appendino, G. Journal of Natural Products, 2008; vol 71: pp 
1427-1430. News release, American Chemical Society.




 Article: Silver-Coated Ventilator Tubes20Cut Pneumonia Risks »







Cheryl Ann Nolin 







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