Marijuana Ingredients Show Promise In Battling Superbugs

[hermanntrude]

ScienceDaily (Sep. 8, 2008) — Substances in marijuana show promise for fighting deadly drug-resistant bacterial infections, including so-called "superbugs," without causing the drug's mood-altering effects, scientists in Italy and the United Kingdom are reporting.

Substances in marijuana show promise for fighting deadly drug-resistant bacterial infections, including so-called "superbugs," without causing the drug's mood-altering effects, scientists in Italy and the United Kingdom are reporting. (Credit: iStockphoto/Karin Lau)

To close that gap, researchers tested five major marijuana ingredients termed cannabinoids on different strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a "superbug" increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

All five substances showed potent germ-killing activity against these drug-resistant strains, as did some synthetic non-natural cannabinoids, they say. The scientists also showed that these substances appear to kill bacteria by different mechanisms than conventional antibiotics, making them more likely to avoid bacterial resistance, the scientists note. At least two of the substances have no known mood-altering effects, suggesting that they could be developed into marijuana-based drugs without causing a "high."

 

[Unforgiven]

What an interesting suggestion. This might be a huge breakthrough in fighting resistant bacteria, or lead to one. Isn't it wonderful what actual clinical research finds when the demon is exorcised from the equation? Yet another good reason to end the war on drugs and get down to finding out about all the aspects of not just pot but all plants!

 

[darkbeaver]

What's wrong with having your mood altered while you're being cured? It's going to happen anyway.

 

[hermanntrude]

i thought this might be a thread for DB

 

[Praxius]

And yet, I bet there will still be a big fight from the Pharma Companies to continue villianizing Marijuana.

With the long list of health benifits Marijuana has under it's belt, I'm pretty sure this won't make a difference to those in power and will still be considdered a drug that would destroy public order, make you rape people on the streets, masturbate uncontrollably, and eventually go insane. *pssh*