26.07.2012
GW Pharmaceuticals, a British company specializing in the use of marijuana for medical purposes discovered that cannabis can be used t o combat obesity and diabetes.
GW Pharmaceuticals researchers focused their attention on two compounds in the plants' leaves, alkaloids cannabidiol and THCV. The researchers found out that they have appetite suppressant qualities, and could possibly be used to treat obesity. However, the effect doesn’t last long.
In mice studies, the THCV and cannabidiol compounds shown another interesting effect: they boosted the animals’ metabolism, leading to drops in the amount of cholesterol in the blood and fat in key organs, such as the liver . THCV injections also increased the animals' sensitivity to insulin while also protecting the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, allowing them to work more efficiently and for longer, which reduces the risk of diabetes.
Dr Stephen Wright, one of the researchers, explained in his interview to The Daily Telegraph that the second phase clinical trials involving about 200 volunteers will be completed by the end of 2012.
