PLoS Biology recently posted a new report about THC. THC research is a lot more useful than people suspect. The endocannaboid system is large and well established in both our peripheral and central nervous system. Yet we know relatively little about this complex system due to the illegal nature of the chemical. Check out one of my earlier posts for more information about THC and the current body of knowledge.

PLoS Biology THC Primer

Genetic Dissection of Behavioural and Autonomic Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Mice
Marijuana and its main psychoactive component, THC, exert a plethora of behavioural and autonomic effects on humans and animals. Some of these effects are the cause of the widespread illicit use of marijuana, while others might be involved in the potential therapeutic use of this drug for the treatment of several neuronal disorders. The great majority of these effects of THC are mediated by cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), which is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system. The exact anatomical and neuronal substrates of each action are, however, not clearly known at the moment. We addressed this issue by using an advanced genetic approach. Control and conditional mutant mice, lacking CB1 expression in defined neuronal subpopulations but not in others, were treated with THC, and typical effects of the drug on motor behaviour, pain, and thermal sensation were scored. Our results show that different neuronal subpopulations mediate different effects of THC and could lead to a refined interpretation of the pharmacological actions of cannabinoids. Moreover, these data might provide the rationale for the development of drugs capable of selectively activating CB1 in specific neuronal subpopulations, thereby better exploiting cannabinoids’ potential therapeutic properties.