Cannabinoids induce seizures by acting through the cannabinoid CB1 receptor

Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug in the world, and the advent of synthetic cannabinoids creates additional challenges to society because of their higher potency and ability to escape drug detection screenings. Scientists from Japan have a warning about a danger of cannabinoid abuse.

A research group led by Olga Malyshevskaya and Yoshihiro Urade of International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, discovered that seizures can be induced by natural Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol or the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 in mice. This was demonstrated by continuous recording of animals’ electric brain activity, video and movement activity tracking. Based on their data, they propose a potential treatment for cannabinoid overdose with the cannabinoid-1-receptor (CB1R) specific antagonist (AM-251), which, in their study, prevented cannabinoid-induced seizures.

“Our study is quite important, because people…

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