Narconon PSA  

Researchers at Imperial College London demonstrated a method for the treatment of acute pain by using cannabis in ways that will not affect the brain, Science Daily reported Sept. 14. 

The study showed that drugs targeting CB2 cannabinoid receptors -- found in the peripheral nervous system but not in the human brain -- can block the transmission of pain signals. Previous studies have focused primarily on the cannabis-activated CB1 receptors, which are involved in pain relief but are located in the brain and thus prone to side-effects and potential abuse.

The mechanism by which CB2 receptors provide pain relief is similar to the way opiate receptors work under the effects of morphine, and may be an alternative acute-pain treatment, the researchers found.  "It suggests we could alleviate pain by targeting the cannabinoid receptor CB2 without causing the kinds of side-effects we associate with people using cannabis itself," said lead study author Uma Anand.

Further clinical trials of drugs that target the CB2 receptors are planned. The research appears in the September 2008 issue of the journal Pain.