DRUGS LIVE RETURNS FOR SKUNK CANNABIS

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Following on from last year’s Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial, Channel 4 is to broadcast a ground-breaking scientific trial looking at the effects on the brain of ‘Skunk’ – the high strength variety of cannabis widely available in Britain today.

The feature-length one-off programme, Drugs Live: Cannabis (date tbc), will follow the trial which will be conducted at University College London by two of the world’s leading experts on the effects of illegal drugs on the brain, psychopharmacologists Professor Val Curran from UCL and Professor David Nutt from Imperial College.

Last year cannabis was smoked by 2 million people in the UK, making it the most commonly used illicit drug and half of 16-29 year olds have tried it at least once. ‘Skunk’ is a strong form of cannabis that has become more prevalent in the UK. But it is very different from old-style cannabis resin.

Compared to cannabis resin, Skunk has far higher levels of the psychoactive agent THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) – which is what makes users ‘stoned’, but it can also make some people anxious and some experience psychosis-like symptoms. Unlike resin, Skunk also has virtually no CBD (Cannabidiol), which has almost opposite effects to THC – it can calm people down and has anti-psychotic properties.

Some believe that ‘Skunk’ is far more addictive than other forms of cannabis and that it can provoke paranoid episodes and contribute to memory loss. The trial is designed to test these hypotheses using rigorous scientific methodology.

In the double-blind trial volunteers with previous experience of the drug will, on three separate occasions, take doses of ‘Skunk’, cannabis resin and a placebo as part of a scientific study under laboratory conditions. The research will be ethically approved and closely supervised by medical staff.

fMRI scans and cognitive tests will examine the neurological and psychological effects of these two types of cannabis on the brain, on memory and on psychological well being. Elements of the trial will be broadcast live alongside studio discussions with research scientists, health professionals, politicians, as well as cannabis users and drug campaigners from all sides of the debate. The programme will also take questions from viewers and, alongside the programme, there will be extensive online resources and links to support and advice.

As well as exploring the effects of cannabis on the brain, the programme will debate the risks of taking the drug, potential medical uses of cannabis (e.g. for those suffering chronic pain) and the effectiveness of the law. It will also explore the history and chemistry of cannabis, see heavy ‘Skunk’ users trying to quit the drug in a UK addiction treatment centre and go out with police on a raid to a ‘Skunk farm’.

Professor Val Curran said: “This is hugely exciting and important research project which will show how Skunk and resin produce different effects on the human brain, mind and behaviour. Channel 4’s Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial was watched by around two million young people in the UK last year and many more across the internet. My hope is that this new programme will scientifically inform those who use, have used or are thinking of using this drug about the effects of different types of cannabis.”

Drugs Live: Cannabis will be shown next year on Channel 4.

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/41356/

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