All the patents, none of the fun: modifying THC for medicine

Ars Technica reports on research into separating the pain-relieving power of tetrahydrocannabinol from its more commonly-appreciated psychoactive properties. You know, because “improving” natural drugs has always worked out so well for us in the past.

I suppose it’s the hallmark of a congenital cynic to suspect that research like this is focussed on finding new things to patent and peddle as safer (and more lucrative) alternatives to something that pretty much anyone can grow for themselves, rather than any genuine concern that folk getting a little baked from their pain relief might suffer ill effects…

2 thoughts on “All the patents, none of the fun: modifying THC for medicine”

  1. And it’s also because it would be a terrible sin if someone got some pleasure while also treating their illness or relieving their pain. Medicine should be unpleasant. Getting high is wrong. (Insert sarcasm mark here.)

  2. While I am typically just as cynical, the above is actually a good thing. There are some people that would love the pain killing effects of Mary Jane without getting completely baked.
    I know because my wife is one of them. She suffers daily chronic, almost debilitating pain. Mary Jane helps, but she doesn’t use it because she doesn’t want to be baked; she just wants the pain to go away. She doesn’t want to be high all of the time.
    I would imagine that there many people like this. They don’t want to be high; they want to be normal. If THC-less weed helps, then I am all for it.

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