By Maia Szalavitz

CAVAN IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES
 
Stoners aren’t known for their memory prowess but a new review suggests that drugs similar to marijuana’s active ingredients may hold promise for preventing— or even reversing— brain aging and possibly Alzheimer‘s and other degenerative brain diseases.
Since the mid 2000′s researchers have been building an appreciation for the power of marijuana-like substances that make up the brain’s cannabinoid systems. In animal experiments, for example, synthetic compounds similar to THC—marijuana’s main psychoactive component—have shown promise in preserving brain functions. A 2008 study even demonstrated that a THC-like substance reduced brain inflammation and improved memory in older rats.
The latest review, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, suggests that activating the brain’s cannabinoid system may trigger a sort of anti-oxidant cleanse, removing damaged cells and improving the efficiency of the mitochrondria, the energy source that powers cells, ultimately leading to a more robustly functioning brain.
Complete article:
http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/29/how-cannabinoids-may-slow-brain-aging/

 
Toni Braxton has confessed her 1996 Grammy Award-winning tune You’re Making Me High is all about the joys of marijuana use.
Fans and the singer’s family have always thought the song is a sexy and sensual ode to new love, but the singer herself admits it’s all about getting high.
 
Complete article:
http://www.contactmusic.com/news/toni-braxton-grammy-award-winning-song-was-all-about-marijuana_3345758

by: Jonathan Benson

 
Woven into the fabric of the human body is an intricate system of proteins known as cannabinoid receptors that are specifically designed to process cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of the primary active components of marijuana. And it turns out, based on the findings of several major scientific studies, that human breast milk naturally contains many of the same cannabinoids found in marijuana, which are actually extremely vital for proper human development.
Complete article:
http://www.naturalnews.com/036526_cannabinoids_breast_milk_THC.html

By TONY EVANS

Builder Blake Eagle, left, and his father, Leonard Eagle, work on a house in Northridge in Hailey that will incorporate hemp in the walls.
 
Local builder Blake Eagle and his wife, Angie, began researching healthy and sustainable building materials about four years ago for use in a house they planned to build in the Northridge subdivision of Hailey. They settled on a material with high thermal mass that does not require the usual amount of chemicals and vapor barriers used in conventional construction.
“It just makes sense to build our living environment using natural, breathable materials in a healthy, sustainable manner as our budget allows,” Blake Eagle said.
 
Complete article:
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005144533#.UJcy92_A_xV

 

By Natural News

 
The cannabinoid compounds naturally found in many varieties of cannabis, also known more commonly as marijuana, may help children with autism spectrum disorders experience dramatic behavioral improvements, and potentially even full recovery from their symptoms. These are the findings of a new study published in the journal Nature Communications that help reinforce the growing body of evidence which shows that medicinal cannabinoids hold incredible potential in both treating and potentially curing chronic illness.
 
Complete article:
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/392048/20121008/marijuana-cannabinoids-found-help-combat-autism.htm#.UJcyEW_A_xV

By Derek Rosenfeld

 
At last night’s third-party debate on C-SPAN, Larry King asked the four candidates a question that neither Romney nor Obama has been willing to address: “How does the war on drugs affect Americans?”
Three out of the four candidates agreed the drug war does more harm than good – calling for not just a public health approach to drug policy but also legal regulation of currently-illicit drugs like marijuana.
 
Complete article:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/larry-king-hosts-third-party-debate-presidential-candidates-slam-drug-war