Flowering plants: magic in bloom

Brief descriptions of the families of hallucinogenic plants which grow mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World. There is only occasional reference to the fact that these plants are found and used in specific Caribbean territories

Cytogenetic investigation of the effect of cannabis resin - abstract

Recently there has been increasing interest in cannabis because of its widespread consumption and a request for medical research on the drug has been made. Like L.S.D., cannabis is a psychotomimetic hallucinogen as well as a potent teratogen in some experimental animals. The possibility of the existence of a teratogenic effect of L.S.D. and cannabis in humans has been raised independently by investigators in this area. Studies on the in vivo and in vitro effect of L.S.D. on chromosomes indicate elevated frequencies of chromosomal breaks by the drug and radiomimetic properties with breaks persisting after many weeks of ingestion. In view of the harmful consequences of chromosomal breaks, namely foetal wastage, malignant tumours and congenital malformations, it was though that the effect of cannabis on chromosomal division should be investigated. RESULTS: The addition of cannabis of cultured rat and human leukocytes at high concentration resulted in mitotic inhibition. However, there was no significant increase of chromosomal abnormalities. In tissue culture of embryonic rat fibroblasts, mitotic inhibition also occurred. From in vivo studies of embryos whose motheres were treated with teratogenic dosage of cannabis, no chromosomal abnormalities were detected after short-term tissue culture of the embryos. CONCLUSION: It seems likely from the above that the teratogenic effect of cannabis in rats is not due to the production of chromosomal abnormalities, but it might be due to inhibition of mitosis affecting the proliferation of cells(AU)