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British scientists have discovered how a substance in the cannabis plant works in the brain to reduce unnatural activity in patients at risk of psychosis.
Their findings suggest that the substance could be used in a possible treatment of the disease.
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is illegal to grow, sell or use in many countries. The use of powerful forms of cannabis can increase the chances of developing a psychosis. But the substance investigated by researchers, the chemical cannabidiol, seems to have the opposite effect.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is non-intoxicating. This means that it is different from drugs or alcohol products, which can affect the judgment or behavior of the user.
CBD is the same cannabis substance that has also been shown to help patients with epilepsy, a disorder of the nervous system. This led to the United States approving in June a cannabis drug, a form of specially transformed CBD.
Earlier research at King's College London had shown that CBD appeared to block the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, a cannabis intoxicant. But how it happened was a mystery.
Now, researchers at King's College say they have more evidence of health advantages of CBD.
Sagnik Bhattacharyya and his team gave 33 young people capsules containing the substance. The 33 subjects showed signs of psychosis, even though they had not shown blooming mental condition.
The researchers studied images of young people's brains. They found that taking CBD capsules reduced the abnormal activity in three areas of the brain: the striatum, the medial temporal cortex and the middle brain.
Abnormal activity in all three areas has been linked to the development of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia.
Most current antipsychotic drugs target chemical dopamine. The brain uses dopamine to send signals from one nerve cell to another. But CBD works differently.
A major difference is that the body is easier to handle CBD than other substances. CBD is less likely to cause harm Side effectssuch as weight gain and other health issues related to existing drugs.
Bhattacharyya told the Reuters news agency: "One of the reasons the CBD is exciting is that it's fine. tolerated compared to other available antipsychotics.
"There is an urgent need for safe treatment for young people at risk for psychosis," he added.
The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College is now planning a clinical CBD test as a treatment.
The researchers plan to start identifying topics for the clinical trial in early 2019.
The latest findings show the complexity of the combination of chemicals found in the marijuana plant. They are coming at a time when many countries are beginning to toughen their laws against cannabis.
I am Pete Musto.
Ben Hirschler reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Pete Musto adapted his report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the publisher.
We want your news. What other health benefits do you think scientists will discover in the cannabis plant? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in this story
unnatural – adj. unusual especially in a way that poses problems
psychosis – not. a very serious mental illness that makes you behave strangely or believe things that are not true
advantage(s) – not. a result or beneficial or useful effect
capsule(s) – not. a very small container filled with medicine and swallowed whole
blooming – adj. have all the qualities associated with a particular thing or type of person
side effect(s) – not. an often harmful and undesirable effect of a drug or a chemical that occurs with the desired effect
tolerate(re) – v. to experience something harmful or unpleasant without being hurt
clinical – adj. referring to or based on work done with real patients
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