Dope lessens ecstasy harm in rats

[Peter Webster <vignes@xxxxxxxxx>]

Weekend Australian  Saturday 2 February 2002  p6

Sarah Stock

The harmful effects of ecstasy on brain cells and people's moods could
be lessened by smoking dope at the same time. Sydney university associate
professor of psychology Iain McGregor and a research team found in
experiments on rats that ecstasy causes anxiousness and a depletion of
brain messenger cells. However, when rats are given ecstasy and cannabis
together they have less depletion of brain cells and are less anxious.
While they are more affected than rats given cannabis alone or no drugs,
the effects are not as bad as those brought about by ecstasy use alone.
The study was done because about half of the ecstasy users at dance
parties also use cannabis.

This is a posting by ADCA's Australian Resource Centre for the Alcohol
and other Drugs Sector
Phone  (02) 6281 1002  Fax  (02) 6282 7364  Email:
resource.centre@xxxxxxxxxxx


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