Cannabis improves night vision: a case study of dark adaptometry and scotopic sensitivity in kif smokers of the Rif mountains of northern Morocco

Previous reports have documented an improvement in night vision among Jamaican fishermen after ingestion of a crude tincture of herbal cannabis, while two members of this group noted that Moroccan fishermen and mountain dwellers observe an analogous improvement after smoking kif, sifted Cannabis sativa mixed with tobacco (Nicotiana rustica). Field-testing of night vision has become possible with a portable device, the LKC Technologies Scotopic Sensitivity Tester-1 (SST-1). This study examines the results of double-blinded graduated THC administration 0-20 mg (as Marinol) versus placebo in one subject on measures of dark adaptometry and scotopic sensitivity. Analogous field studies were performed in Morocco with the SST-1 in three subjects before and after smoking kif. In both test situations, improvements in night vision measures were noted after THC or cannabis. It is believed that this effect is dose-dependent and cannabinoid-mediated at the retinal level. Further testing may assess possible clinical application of these results in retinitis pigmentosa or other conditions.

Activity of Parthenolide at 5HT2A receptors

Parthenolide displaces [3H]ketanserin from 5HT2A receptors from rat and rabbit brain and cloned 5HT2A receptors. Ki's are in the 100-250 microM range. These results suggest that parthenolide may be a low-affinity antagonist at 5HT receptors; it is unlikely that the entire mechanism of action can be explained by its modest 5HT2A receptor affinity.

Headache treatments by native peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon: a preliminary cross-disciplinary assessment

Headache, specifically migraine, is an extremely frequent and debilitating syndrome with worldwide prevalence, including indigenous cultures of Amazonia. This paper considers headache as perceived within the medical philosophy of 5 Indian tribes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Basin. Their ethnobotanical treatments for headache are examined, along with the limited available biochemical assay data. This information is analyzed by means of an Ethnopharmacology Rating Scale. Suggestions are offered as to methods of biochemical analysis that may be fruitful in assessment of potential clinical headache remedies. Key among these is the screening of ethnobotanical samples for serotonin receptor activity. The potential may exist for the discovery of more effective, less toxic headache drugs, as well as for the development of a new industry for the local economy that could promote conservation of an endangered ecosystem.