Easing pain

A new study suggests that Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive chemical in marijuana, can ease arthritis. Researchers from the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in London and Hebrew University in Jerusalem have found that Cannabidiol suppresses part of the immune response of mice with collagen-induced arthritis. This reduces the inflammation and joint damage normally caused by arthritis to a large extent. The researchers say that Cannabidiol can be taken orally, rather than having to be injected ( New Scientist , Vol 167, No 2250).