http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/hea...icle319502.ece
Cannabis, the third most popular recreational drug after alcohol and tobacco, yesterday won an unlikely accolade from scientists who said that it could boost brain power.
Experiments on rats given a potent cannabinoid have shown the drug stimulates the growth of new brain cells. Canadian researchers found that the drug caused neurons to regenerate in the hippocampus, an area that controls mood and emotions, after one month of treatment.
Its effect was similar to that of the antidepressant drug Prozac, which also stimulates nerve growth in the hippocampus. The rats were less anxious and more willing to eat in a novel environment that would normally make them fearful.
Most drugs, including alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine, have been shown to destroy nerve cells in the hippocampus, the researchers from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, say. "The present study suggests that cannabinoids are the only illicit drug that can promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis following chronic administration," they write in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The finding runs counter to previous research highlighting the risks of cannabis use